SpaceXAI, the technology company founded by Elon Musk, has released its newest artificial intelligence model, Grok 4.5. The launch, which occurred on Wednesday, marks the first major product release since SpaceXAI's recent public listing. The company aims to position Grok 4.5 as a robust and more affordable alternative to other powerful AI models currently available in the market.
In a blog post detailing the new offering, SpaceXAI emphasised Grok 4.5's versatility, describing it as a 'workhorse' capable of handling a broad spectrum of automated tasks. These include complex functions such as coding and application development, various office and clerical duties, in-depth research, and diverse forms of knowledge work. Crucially, SpaceXAI claims Grok 4.5 offers 'twice greater token efficiency' compared to other leading models. This efficiency, if borne out in real-world applications, could significantly reduce operating costs for businesses and developers, addressing a growing concern within the AI consumer base regarding token expenses.
Elon Musk, head of SpaceXAI, took to his social media platform X (a SpaceXAI subsidiary) to champion the new model. He compared Grok 4.5 directly to Opus, Anthropic's sophisticated Large Language Model (LLM) designed for demanding and intricate tasks. Musk stated, "Based on strong positive feedback from customers in our beta test program, @SpaceXAI will make Grok 4.5 available to the public tomorrow. It is an Opus-class model, but faster, more token-efficient and lower cost." He further added that internal assessments suggest Grok 4.5 is "roughly comparable to Opus 4.7, but much faster," highlighting the combination of capability, speed, and cost as its competitive edge.
The pricing structure for Grok 4.5 appears highly competitive. SpaceXAI has announced costs of £1.58 per million input tokens and £4.74 per million output tokens (converted from USD at current rates). This contrasts sharply with competitors; for instance, Anthropic's Opus 4.7 costs approximately £3.95 per million input tokens and £19.75 per million output tokens. OpenAI's most expensive model, Sol, is priced around £3.95 for 1 million input tokens and £23.70 for 1 million output tokens, while its more affordable Luna model costs approximately £0.79 for 1 million input and £4.74 for 1 million output tokens. These figures suggest Grok 4.5 could offer substantial savings for heavy AI users.
This release comes at a particularly active time for the AI industry, with OpenAI also planning to launch its latest and most powerful model, GPT 5.6, on Thursday. The release of GPT 5.6 had previously faced limitations due to security concerns under the previous US administration. OpenAI has lauded GPT 5.6 as its "strongest model yet," setting the stage for intensified competition and rapid innovation within the artificial intelligence sector.