Startup Founder Claims Elon Musk Is Stealing the Name ‘Grok’

Elon Musk’s xAI is facing a potential trademark dispute over the name of its chatbot, Grok. Now, a third tech startup called Bizly is claiming it owns the rights to “Grok.” This isn’t the first time Musk has chosen a name for one of his products that other companies say they trademarked first. Last month, Musk’s social media platform settled a lawsuit brought by a marketing firm that claimed it owns exclusive rights to the name X. Bizly and xAI appear to have arrived at the name Grok independently. Author Robert A. Heinlein imagined “grok” as a word in a Martian lexicon that also meant “to understand.” Shah says he applied to trademark the name Grok in 2021. For example, Musk’s former partner Grimes also trademarked the name Grok for a plushie AI-powered kids toy, but that application is very different from a software tool, reducing the likelihood of consumers getting them mixed up.