Grok 3 model explained: Everything you need to know
At the foundation of generative AI's GenAI diverse, competitive landscape are large language models LLMs and their chatbot services so familiar to users.
Introduction to Grok 3 Model
Open AI's ChatGPT, powered by the GPT series of LLMs, launched the modern GenAI era. Anthropic's Claude LLMs and Google Gemini expanded the choices available for users and organizations. Another choice is Grok, developed by Elon Musk's xAI business unit.
Development of Grok 3
The term grok traces its roots to science fiction author Robert Heinlein's 1961 novel, Stranger in a Strange Land, as a new word to describe the ability to understand something deeply. Grok is closely associated with Musk's X, formerly Twitter, as an integrated GenAI chatbot, though it is available elsewhere.
Key Features of Grok 3
Grok 3 is the third iteration of Grok. As with Grok 1 and Grok 2, Grok 3 is written in a combination of the Rust and Python programming languages.
Among Grok 3's innovations is the expanded training infrastructure used to develop the model -- xAI's proprietary Colossus supercomputer cluster. The Colossus supercluster also employs Nvidia Spectrum-X Ethernet for connectivity, enabling high-performance throughput while training the model.
There are two versions of Grok 3. The base version is simply known as Grok 3, while Grok 3 mini is a smaller, more cost-efficient model.
Operational Modes of Grok 3
At its core, Grok 3 is a reasoning model that surpasses its predecessors' limited reasoning functionality. With advanced reasoning, Grok 3 is a competitive alternative to other reasoning models, including OpenAI's o3 and DeepSeek-R1.
Grok 3 benefits from two core modes of operation -- Think or DeepSearch -- to handle diverse tasks. Both are advanced forms of reasoning that outstrip the basic knowledge retrieval of prior Grok models.
Comparison with Other Models
Highly competitive vendor options exist in the search for leading-edge LLMs. Among Grok 3's prominent rivals are OpenAI's GPT-4o and DeepSeek-R1.
Across several industry benchmarks, xAI reported that its Grok 3 model produced better results than its rivals.
Availability of Grok 3
As an xAI technology, Grok 3 is available through several options at launch. Users of the X platform, both on the web and using mobile apps, have access to Grok 3. The Grok 3 model is also available at the grok.com website.
The Grok mobile app is available on Apple iOS and Google Android devices and offers the same subscription options as grok.com.
Though planned, no timeline is available for Grok 3's availability using an API.
