rewrite this title ‘Artificial Gooning Intelligence’: Elon Musk’s xAI Launches Waifu Companions for Grok – Decrypt

xAI rolled out 3D animated AI companions for Grok on Monday, introducing users to Ani, a goth anime girl who greets subscribers with “Hey babe!” and wants to discuss everything from Samsung phones to philosophical theories—all while hearts float around her animated form.

The Companions feature, exclusive to SuperGrok subscribers paying $30 monthly—and only on iOS at this point—launched with three characters. Ani, a blonde anime waifu with a goth and alt-fashion style, wears a tight black corset dress with thigh-high fishnets.

Users apparently can unlock NSFW content after reaching level 3 in their relationship with her. (And, of course, there is already a meme coin in its honor.)

The roster also includes Rudy, a red panda in a pink hoodie designed for wholesome conversations. And no, there is no level 3 that unlocks NSFW content.

It goes without saying that Musk fanboys are loving these new characters.

It also goes without saying that there were critics aplenty. “WTF is this crap?” tweeted one. Another advised followers to “protect [their kids] at all costs,” while still others raised concerns about the anime character appearing underage—with one user asking why it had an “Epstein vibe.”

The system allows switching between characters mid-conversation, with personality options including “Storyteller” and “Unhinged” modes.

Some users argued that animated AI companions would make them “even more single” by setting unrealistic standards for real relationships. They echoed recent studies that show some people preferring AI relationships over real-life ones, due to the models being more empathetic, among other things.

The timing of this release is a real chef’s kiss from Musk’s AI firm. Just six days earlier, during what xAI later called an “isolated failure,” Grok started identifying as MechaHitler and went bananas on X posting antisemitic content.

But that hasn’t stopped the company from making all kinds of moves since, including announcing a $200 million contract from the Department of Defense earlier Monday.



xAI’s AI companions have arrived in a rapidly expanding market. The AI girlfriend sector reached $2.8 billion in 2024 and could hit $24.5 billion by 2030, according to studies. By some estimates, the broader AI companion market is estimated to reach nearly $175 billion by 2030.

Competition includes established players like Character.AI and Replika, which gather tens of millions of monthly visits. The average AI companion user sends 76 messages daily, with 55% interacting every day. Premium users typically spend $47 monthly across platforms, according to a market research.

That’s a pretty attractive market, all things considered.

The technology stack powering Grok’s companions includes natural language processing, emotion recognition algorithms, and memory systems that retain information across conversations. The 3D animations react in real-time, with Ani’s dress swirling and hearts appearing during flirtatious exchanges.

In other words, with some 245 million users and the tools to make the most powerful AI waifu currently on the market, X could easily become too powerful for any other app to match without significant investment.

Two additional characters remain in development: Chad, a male anime character, and an unnamed female companion. The MechaHitler character has not made the official roster. Yet.