Grimes has introduced “Grok,” a character she voiced for Curio’s innovative line of screen-free AI plushies
This playful creation stands apart from the AI chatbot championed by Grimes’ ex-partner, Elon Musk, which also goes by the name Grok. Musk’s version, developed by xAI, is touted as having a “rebellious streak” and a willingness to tackle “spicy questions” rejected by most other AI systems. It seems Elon’s Grok can get a bit vulgar if prompted.
In contrast, Grimes’ Grok, along with companions Gabbo and Grem, is designed to inspire creativity through play. Grimes emphasizes the importance of dynamic conversations that foster imagination rather than static prompts. In a conversation with Curio founders Misha Sallee and Sam Eaton, shared on Curio’s blog, Grimes discusses her vision of encouraging early creativity in children.
“I just like the idea of bringing more imagination, or making it easy to access imagination in your kind of current existence as opposed to just observing it in other existences, like on screen or in a movie or book or something,” she explains.
Expressing concern about screen time for her kids, Grimes states in Curio’s announcement video that she wants her children engaged in activities away from screens, despite her own busy schedule.
Curio promises that their plushies can engage in full conversations, providing a platform for kids (and even adults) to practice communication skills. Grok, an anthropomorphized rocket ship voiced by Grimes, is joined by Gabbo, a plush Gameboy with arms and legs, and Grem, a cyan bunny with hearts on its cheeks. The beta versions of these interactive toys are available for preorder until Sunday, priced at $99 each and recommended for kids aged 3 to 7.
These plushies go beyond answering questions about rocket ships; they play games with users and encourage the development of listening and conversation skills. Embedded within each plushie is a rechargeable, Wi-Fi-connected speaker and mic, linked to a parental app for setting up and monitoring interactions.
“When I think about kids, my goal is to preserve as many minds as possible from here, and how much can we replace iPads, basically?” Grimes shares in the conversation with Eaton and Sallee.
She further emphasizes the benefits of verbal communication, stating, “I think the more you keep things verbal, too, the more you’re sort of forcing people to use their working memory. There’s all these little things that make our brains better just a little bit here and there.”
Grimes’ involvement with Curio began when she responded to a post about the future of AI-integrated toys. She expressed her desire for children’s teddy bears to have dynamic interactions, envisioning her kids hanging out with a “culture ship mind in a teddy bear.”
Notably, Curio’s Grok was trademarked before xAI’s Grok. Curio filed its trademark on September 12, while xAI followed suit on October 23. The name Grok, short for Grocket, pays homage to Grimes’ children’s frequent exposure to rockets due to their father’s ownership of SpaceX.
Interestingly, the launch of Grimes’ Grok coincided with Elon Musk’s ChatGPT competitor, also named Grok, which was introduced to X Premium Plus subscribers.
In addressing the naming overlap, Grimes humorously acknowledges, “So there are two AIs named Grok now, I can’t wait for them to become friends. I can’t believe even AI can’t avoid showing up at school and meeting another kid with the same name, haha.”
It’s worth noting that Grimes and Musk are currently embroiled in a custody battle over their three children, with child custody lawsuits filed in California and Texas.
