xAI Launches Anime Companions

The AI startup xAI has unveiled 3D-animated AI companions for Grok.

pic.twitter.com/mgLcutGsJI

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025

Subscribers to the SuperGrok plan, priced at $30 per month, gain access to an anime character named Ani. She greets users with “Hey babe!” and is open to discussions on any topic—from Samsung smartphones to philosophical concepts.

here’s Ani 💕 dancing this morning was easy to enable in the @grok App pic.twitter.com/gE8LfT5iWX

— Gail 🇺🇸 (@gailalfaratx) July 14, 2025

The companions are currently available only on iOS. Users who reach the third level of interaction with Ani can unlock NSFW content. Some of the audience, including Elon Musk fans, have positively received the update. 

Wow, Grok companions is really good. This really is the smartest AI. I am cancelling so many subscriptions right now. Thank you, @elonmusk and @xai team! pic.twitter.com/j1EOAjfj6o

— $TSLA Hodler (@TSLAshareholder) July 14, 2025

Additionally, there is Rudy—a cartoon-style panda designed for “heartfelt” and safe conversations. NSFW interaction is not available with him. 

Going to Vegas with Bad Rudy 🤣

Companion mode in grok4 is so good !🔥 pic.twitter.com/qomJxFIum3

— Tetsuo (@tetsuoai) July 14, 2025

Criticism has not been absent.

WTF is this crap?

— Joe (@taurisjoe) July 14, 2025

“What the hell?” wrote a user under the nickname Joe.

Some users have called to “protect their children at all costs.” Others felt that Ani appears underage. 

The system allows switching between characters during a dialogue. Various personality types are available, including “Narrator” and “Unhinged” modes. 

The technology stack underpinning Grok companions includes natural language processing, emotion recognition algorithms, and memory systems that retain information between dialogues. The 3D animation reacts in real-time—for instance, Ani’s dress flutters and hearts appear during flirting.

In development are an anime hero named Chad and a girl whose name has yet to be revealed.

In July, xAI introduced Grok 4—the “most powerful AI model in the world.” Some users on X discovered that the neural network relies on Musk’s posts in its quest for “truth.”