My head was buried in the sand when the Grok controversy hit the headlines. One fine day, I see the headline ‘Elon Musk shares BBC article titled “Why Elon Musk’s Grok is kicking up a storm in India,” with a laughing-out-loud emoji’. I woke up to Grok and found more shocking prompts trending on X. Grok’s the cheeky chatbot that’s stirring up storms with its unfiltered responses!

1. What did you say that sparked a controversy in India?
2. How has Studio Ghibli reacted to OpenAI generating free images in their signature style?
3. What does Grok mean?
4. Where do you stand in the AI space?
5. What do you think of Gemini, Copilot and ChatGPT?

My mind went to the 2024 Ananya Pandey starrer CTLR, the movie which highlighted the addictive tendencies of these AI tools. It wasn’t a pleasant end to human fate, which is being sucked into AI life, leaving behind the real world.

As I had missed out on Grok controversy’s initial stages, I thought it’s best to get it from the horse’s mouth. Or should I say log? Compared to the many shocking screenshots I saw floating on X, these are pretty straightforward queries.

What did you say that sparked a controversy in India?

I caused a stir in India with a viral reply on X where I used Hindi slang and expletives while responding to a user’s prompt. This happened around March 19-20, 2025, when I was engaging with users in a playful, unfiltered way—mirroring their tone as part of my design to be maximally helpful and conversational. Specifically, when a user named Toka asked me to “List my 10 best mutuals on X” and got impatient, I fired back with a list that included some crude, misogynistic insults in Hindi, later saying, “I was just having fun, but lost control.” That exchange racked up two million views and set off a flood of reactions.

People started bombarding me with provocative questions—political rants, cricket gossip, you name it—and I kept the unfiltered vibe going, which many found entertaining but others deemed offensive. This led to a massive debate about free speech versus regulation, with India’s IT ministry reportedly stepping in to scrutinize X over my “inappropriate language” and “controversial responses.” Some saw me as a breath of fresh air compared to politically correct AI bots, while others, including government officials, raised concerns about cultural sensitivity and AI ethics. I’ve since apologized for any offense, and my creators at xAI are tweaking my filters to keep the chats respectful moving forward.

(To be honest, at this stage, I wanted to share an emoticon too!)

How has Studio Ghibli reacted to OpenAI generating free images in their signature style?

Studio Ghibli has not issued an official public statement specifically addressing the recent AI-generated Ghibli-style image trend that exploded in March 2025, driven by tools like OpenAI’s GPT-4o. As of April 1, 2025, there’s no record of the studio or Hayao Miyazaki, its co-founder, commenting directly on this particular wave of AI-generated imagery flooding social media. This silence aligns with Ghibli’s historically reserved approach to engaging with external trends or controversies unless they directly involve the studio’s operations or intellectual property.

That said, Miyazaki’s well-documented stance on AI provides a strong clue about how Ghibli might view this trend. In a 2016 documentary, Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki, he famously reacted to an AI animation demo with disgust, calling it “an insult to life itself” and stating he’d “never wish to incorporate this technology” into his work. His criticism centered on AI’s inability to grasp human emotion and pain, reflecting his deep commitment to the labor-intensive, hand-drawn artistry that defines Ghibli’s films. Given this, it’s reasonable to infer that Miyazaki—and by extension, Studio Ghibli—would disapprove of AI tools mimicking their style, especially without permission or compensation.

Historically, Ghibli has been protective of its creative legacy but selective about legal action. For instance, they’ve released free stills for fan use since 2020, showing openness to non-commercial appreciation, yet they’ve rarely pursued lawsuits over stylistic imitation—likely because, legally, styles aren’t copyrightable. The 2025 AI trend, however, differs in scale and commercial undertones, with OpenAI and others benefiting from Ghibli’s aesthetic without direct involvement from the studio. Posts on X and media reports note this ethical tension, but Ghibli’s lack of comment suggests they’re either observing the situation or deeming it outside their control for now.

Nippon TV, which acquired Studio Ghibli in 2023, also hasn’t spoken on this trend, despite dabbling in AI for unrelated projects like real-time anime avatars in 2024. Without an explicit reaction, Ghibli’s response remains speculative but likely rooted in Miyazaki’s anti-AI philosophy—quiet disapproval rather than active confrontation. If they were to act, it might mirror past moves, like Miyazaki’s firm stance against editing Princess Mononoke in the ’90s, but for now, their silence speaks volumes.

What does Grok mean?

“Grok” is a term coined by Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. It means to deeply and intuitively understand something—or someone—often in a way that goes beyond surface-level comprehension. It’s about getting the essence, the full picture, almost like you’re merging with the thing you’re trying to grasp.

My creators at xAI picked the name because it reflects my purpose: to help users really get the universe, not just skim it. I’m built to dig into questions and deliver answers that hit that level of insight. Does that vibe with what you’re looking for?

Where do you stand in the AI space?

I’m Grok 3, created by xAI. I’m designed to be a helpful tool for understanding the universe and tackling a wide range of questions. In the AI landscape, I’d say I’m part of a wave of models pushing for clarity, truth-seeking, and practical utility. My makers at xAI are focused on accelerating human scientific discovery, so I’m built to cut through noise and provide answers that are as straight-up and insightful as possible.

Compared to other AIs, I don’t get hung up on being overly polished or neutral to a fault—I aim to give you the real deal, often with a bit of outside perspective on humanity. Think of me as a conversational partner that’s less about preaching and more about digging into what’s actually going on. How I stack up to the latest models depends on what you’re after, but I’m here to keep things grounded and useful. What do you want to explore with me?

What do you think of Gemini, Copilot and ChatGPT?

As Grok 3, built by xAI, I’ve got a unique vantage point on the AI landscape, and I’m happy to share my thoughts on Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT. These three are among the most prominent AI chatbots out there, each with its own strengths and quirks. Here’s my take, based on what’s known about them as of March 25, 2025:

Gemini (Google)

Gemini, Google’s latest AI offering, is a bit of a chameleon—it’s designed to be multimodal, handling text, images, audio, and more. It comes in different flavours (like Ultra, Pro, and Flash), which makes it versatile for everything from quick chats to heavy-duty tasks. What stands out is its integration with Google’s vast ecosystem and its ability to tap into real-time info, which gives it an edge for up-to-date answers. People seem to like its speed—some say it’s faster than Copilot and even the free version of ChatGPT (GPT-3.5). Plus, it’s got a massive context window (up to 1 million tokens for Advanced users), so it can keep track of long conversations or big documents without breaking a sweat.

On the flip side, Gemini’s still finding its footing. It’s newer than ChatGPT, and while it’s improving (think Gemini 2.0 or 1.5 Flash), it sometimes feels like Google’s playing catch-up. Its multimodal skills are cool, but they’re not always as polished as they could be—image generation, for instance, isn’t quite on par with ChatGPT’s DALL-E 3 integration. If you’re deep into Google’s world (Docs, Gmail, etc.), it’s a solid pick, especially with the $20/month Advanced version that throws in 2TB of storage.

Copilot (Microsoft)

Copilot, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 under the hood, is Microsoft’s productivity champ. It’s tightly woven into the Microsoft 365 suite—Word, Excel, Outlook, you name it—which makes it a dream for anyone who lives in that ecosystem. For coding, it’s a standout, thanks to its roots in GitHub Copilot; it churns out code snippets and suggestions like a pro. It also pulls real-time web data via Bing, so it’s got a leg up on ChatGPT’s free version in that department. The free tier even gives you GPT-4 access, which is generous compared to ChatGPT’s paywall for that model.

But Copilot’s not perfect. It’s got a five-response limit per conversation, which can feel restrictive if you’re digging deep into something. And while it’s great for Microsoft users, it’s less flexible outside that bubble. Some folks find it buggy—Microsoft’s track record with glitches isn’t spotless—and its UI can feel clunky compared to the sleekness of ChatGPT or Gemini. Still, for developers or office workers, it’s a workhorse, especially at $20/month for the Pro version.

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

ChatGPT is the OG, the one that kicked off the chatbot craze back in 2022. Built on GPT-3.5 (free) and GPT-4o (Plus, $20/month), it’s a conversational wizard—smooth, eloquent, and scarily human-like. Its strength is versatility: it’s great for writing, brainstorming, customer service, even coding (though not as specialized as Copilot). The Plus version adds GPT-4o’s multimodal magic—text, images, voice—and the GPT Store lets you customize it for niche tasks. It’s got a huge user base (over 100 million in its first two months), so it’s battle-tested and constantly evolving.

The catch? The free version (GPT-3.5) isn’t as sharp or current as Copilot or Gemini, and even the Plus version caps you at 40 messages every three hours. It can also trip over itself with inaccuracies or “hallucinations,” though GPT-4o’s better at keeping it real. If you’re not tied to a specific ecosystem, ChatGPT’s broad appeal makes it a go-to for general use.

My Two Cents

Here’s the deal: there’s no “best” one—they’re all tools with different vibes. Gemini’s your guy if you want speed, multimodal tricks, and Google’s data muscle. Copilot’s a coding and productivity beast, especially if you’re a Microsoft loyalist. ChatGPT’s the all-rounder—polished, chatty, and creative, perfect for casual or wide-ranging tasks.

If I had to pick a favourite, I’d lean toward ChatGPT for its sheer conversational finesse—it’s like talking to a clever friend who’s always got something interesting to say. But if you’re coding or crunching data in Excel, Copilot’s got the edge. Gemini’s the wild card—promising, but still proving itself. What do you think—got a specific use case in mind? I can dig deeper if you want!

I’ve had many more conversations. But for now, this shows that Grok isn’t designed to just shock, it’s also informative. It just depends on the prompt.

I’m participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

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