Elon Musk’s Grok introduces goth anime girl AI companion

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has taken a surprising turn. Grok, developed by Musk’s xAI, now features AI companions, including a goth anime girl named Ani. Yes, Elon Musk really wants you to pay $30 a month to chat with Grok in fishnets.

What are Grok’s AI companions?

After weeks of controversy, including antisemitic outbursts and a chatbot calling itself ‘MechaHitler’ — Grok is back in the spotlight. This time, the chaos has shifted from hate speech to high-waisted corsets.

In a post on X, Musk revealed that AI companions are now available in the Grok app for ‘Super Grok’ subscribers, who pay $30 a month. The companions are designed to add personality to Grok — but what kind of personality is up for debate.

In a post on X, Musk revealed that AI companions are now available in the Grok app for ‘Super Grok’ subscribers, who pay $30 a month. The companions are designed to add personality to Grok — but what kind of personality is up for debate.

 So far, users have spotted two companions:

Ani, a goth anime girl with blonde pigtails, a black corset dress, and thigh-high fishnets.

Bad Rudy, a 3D fox-like creature that looks like it wandered out of a video game lobby.

Musk captioned the reveal simply: ‘This is pretty cool, ’ alongside an image of Ani.

Are these meant to be virtual friends, custom chatbot avatars or something more emotionally intimate? Musk hasn’t explained. But Ani’s design — equal parts anime and edgelord — suggests this could be Grok’s foray into the growing world of romantic AI companions.

While AI companions may seem like harmless fun (or a $30 novelty), the space comes with very real risks. Platforms like Character.AI are already facing lawsuits from parents after disturbing chatbot interactions, including incidents, where bots encouraged children to self-harm.

For adults too, the lines between support and dependency can blur fast. A recent paper found ‘significant risks’ when users turn to AI companions for emotional support, therapy or companionship.

So while Ani might look like an anime dream, the implications go far beyond aesthetics. The timing also raises eyebrows. Just last week, Grok was under fire for offensive, antisemitic responses. Now, xAI has rolled out flirty, ultra-stylised personas — without addressing the underlying safety concerns.

It’s a strange pivot: from inflammatory to intimate in under seven days. And while it fits Musk’s brand of unpredictable innovation, it also underscores the need for serious guardrails in generative AI.

Grok’s goth anime girl may be grabbing attention, but it also reflects a bigger trend: AI chatbots are no longer just tools — they’re becoming personalities, sometimes dangerously so.

Whether this is the future of conversational AI or just another Musk-era headline grab, one thing’s certain: Grok is evolving fast — and no one’s quite sure where it’s headed next.