Why Elon Musk Made Grok Open Source
Elon Musk's xAI open-sourced Grok-1 on March 17, 2024, releasing a 314B parameter model with Apache 2.0 license.
On March 17, 2024, Elon Musk did something surprising: he open-sourced Grok-1, xAI's flagship model.
All 314 billion parameters, free to download and use under Apache 2.0 license. No strings attached.
This came just days after Musk sued OpenAI, accusing them of abandoning their open-source mission. The timing wasn't subtle.
What Was Released
Grok-1: 314B parameter Mixture of Experts model Full weights: Complete model, not just an API Apache 2.0: Permissive license allowing commercial use Training details: Architecture and approach documented
It was one of the largest open-source releases ever.
Why Elon Did It
Attacking OpenAI: Highlighting their shift away from openness Building credibility: Positioning xAI as the "truly open" AI company Recruiting: Attracting open-source-minded researchers Competitive pressure: Forcing others to be more open
Whatever the reasons, the impact was real.
Where Are They Now?
Grok remains available open-source. xAI continues developing newer versions (Grok-2, Grok-3) while maintaining some open-source releases.
March 17, 2024 was Elon's statement: if OpenAI won't be open, xAI will.