A Plush Leap into AI Grimes, the avant-garde pop singer and mother to Elon Musk’s children, has collaborated with Curio to create an AI-powered plush toy named “Grok.” This innovative toy, priced at $99 for a limited beta edition, boasts features like a Curio Voice Box and is designed to interact with children using artificial intelligence. Distinct from Musk’s AI chatbot, also named Grok, this plush toy represents a foray into the burgeoning market of AI-enabled toys, a sector projected to be worth $35 billion by 2030.

Educational and Entertaining AI Companion Grok is more than just a cuddly toy; it’s an educational tool powered by OpenAI’s large language models. With a built-in processor, battery, speaker, and microphone, Grok is designed to answer simple questions from children, fostering both learning and play. Joining Grok in this intergalactic adventure are “Gabbo,” a robot, and “Grem,” an alien, making up a trio of AI companions. Importantly, Grok operates without a camera or screen, emphasizing interaction over screen time.

The Name Game: Grimes vs. Musk The coincidental naming of both Grimes’ and Musk’s AI ventures as “Grok” raises eyebrows. While Grimes cites “grocket” (a term her children use for rockets at SpaceX) as her inspiration, Musk’s chatbot draws its name from the sci-fi novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” where “Grok” signifies profound understanding. This overlap in naming could foreshadow a potential trademark dispute, especially since Curio holds the trademark for Grok.

Musk, Media, and Trademark Tangles The launch of Grimes’ Grok doll has been tinged with intrigue, particularly given her exclusive interviews with a journalist previously at odds with Musk. This development occurs amidst a backdrop of another AI company, Groq, which has voiced concerns about the phonetic similarity of Musk’s chatbot to their trademarked name, adding another layer to the complex narrative surrounding the Grok name.

As Grimes ventures into the AI toy market with Grok, the interplay of technology, trademark issues, and personal dynamics makes for a compelling story in the world of AI and entertainment.

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SOURCE: Grimes Enters the AI Race With a Baby Grok Doll (gizmodo.com)