Social media platform X has quietly moved one of its most visible artificial intelligence features behind a paywall, restricting the “Ask Grok” function in conversation threads to paying subscribers.
The change, which appears to have taken effect on Thursday, means users must now subscribe to Premium or Premium+ to summon the AI chatbot directly inside a thread.
Previously, the feature was available to all users and had become a popular way to quickly query the platform’s AI assistant, Grok.
The in-thread tool allowed users to tag Grok in a reply and receive an instant AI-generated response without leaving the conversation. Many users relied on it for quick explanations, fact-checks, or additional context during discussions.
When users prompted Grok to answer questions on Thursday, it replied with: ”
“Ask Grok is currently available to Premium and Premium+ subscribers only. Subscribe to unlock this feature:…”
It confirmed the change in a reply to a user on X, saying: “Yes, that’s correct — the ‘Ask Grok’ feature (summoning me in thread replies) is now available only to X Premium and Premium+ subscribers.”
Still Available on Tab
Users who do not pay for the platform’s subscription services can still access the chatbot through the dedicated Grok tab on X or directly on the Grok website. However, those interactions may be subject to usage limits and will no longer work through thread replies.
Subscriptions for X’s paid tiers start at about $8 per month for Premium and $40 per month for Premium+, which offer additional platform features alongside expanded AI access. In Nigeria, the first package costs N7,600 and the second N60,390 with users currently offered a 50% discount on both.
Since its launch, Grok has been positioned as a key feature tied to the platform’s subscription ecosystem. The latest move reflects a broader push by X to monetize artificial intelligence tools integrated into the platform.
The chatbot, developed by xAI, has been heavily promoted by X owner Elon Musk as a conversational AI designed to answer questions and generate content within the social network.
However, Grok has also faced controversy. Earlier this year, the platform temporarily restricted some image-generation capabilities after users asked the AI to produce altered images of women that removed clothing from photos posted on the site.
Limiting the “Ask Grok” feature to paying subscribers is likely to further shift how users interact with the chatbot, particularly for those who had been using the AI directly inside public conversations.
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