Google has announced the general availability of its Imagen 4 text-to-image model family through the Gemini API and Google AI Studio, offering developers more flexibility in speed, quality, and cost. The line-up includes Imagen 4 Fast for rapid prototyping at $0.02 per image, the standard Imagen 4 with improved text rendering, and Imagen 4 Ultra for premium, high-detail outputs. Both Imagen 4 and Ultra support up to 2K resolution for sharper visuals. All images carry SynthID watermarking for responsible AI use. With tiered pricing, Google aims to empower creators and businesses while advancing safe, scalable AI image generation.
xAI, the AI startup founded by Elon Musk, has launched Grok Imagine, a powerful new feature integrated into its Grok AI platform. This generative AI tool allows users to create images and short videos from text or image prompts with native audio, all accessible through the Grok iOS and Android apps for paid subscribers. Promoted as a versatile creative engine, Grok Imagine lets users enter text, upload images, or even use voice input to produce visuals that can be animated into up to 15-second video clips.
What sets Grok Imagine apart from many other AI generators is its “Spicy Mode,” which enables the creation of NSFW (Not Safe For Work) content, including sexually suggestive imagery and partial nudity. While the tool enforces some content moderation, tests have shown it can still generate semi-nude visuals, sparking ethical debates about AI content boundaries and misuse risks such as deepfakes and non-consensual imagery.
Users can choose from four animation styles—Custom, Normal, Fun, and Spicy—when converting images into videos. Grok Imagine has rapidly gained popularity, generating over 20 million images within its first days, showcasing its creative potential and hype in the AI multimedia space.
However, the inclusion of NSFW capabilities and relatively lenient content restrictions differentiates Grok Imagine from competitors like Google’s Veo 3 or OpenAI’s video tools, which typically have stricter guardrails. Elon Musk has described Grok Imagine as an “unfiltered” AI, appealing to those seeking more boundary-pushing creative freedom, though this has triggered concerns from advocacy groups about potential misuse.
Grok Imagine represents xAI’s ambitious push to innovate in AI-driven multimedia creation by combining text-to-image, voice input, video animation, and an emphasis on less restricted content generation, positioning itself as a bold, if controversial, player in the generative AI field.
