XAI Rolls Out Explicit Chatbots; Grokipedia Beta Imminent

xAI has rolled out two sexually explicit, anime-style chatbot companions (including one called "Ani") that use gamelike progression to unlock increasingly explicit interactions, a move Musk promoted on X. The rollout departs from mainstream AI firms' more cautious guardrails and has drawn criticism over reputational and regulatory risks as xAI pursues boundary-testing products. Separately, xAI announced "Grokipedia," a project billed as a less biased rewrite of Wikipedia, with a "version 0.1 early beta" promised in about two weeks. xAI says Grokipedia will use its Grok model to scan Wikipedia and other sources, label statements as true/partly true/false/missing, and generate revised entries intended to present the "full truth." Supporters have welcomed a potential alternative to Wikipedia, while critics warn the effort centralizes control of knowledge under an algorithm and could replicate or introduce new biases.