Have you ever felt lonely and none of your friends are available to you?
Well, we know it’s a yes!
The longing for having someone to talk to who is emotionally available is no longer a problem because Grok AI Companions are here.
AI Companions are those assistants that can interact and engage with you just like a human. These companions can become your friends, confidants, therapists, and more. Thus, easing your pain of not having someone to share your highs and lows with.
Sounds interesting, right?
Grok AI is a generative AI tool by Elon Musk’s company, xAI. Its hype began with creating Ghibli images and evolving to AI-generated videos, and now it’s introducing AI companions. Grok AI constantly raises the bar for itself.
Grok AI Companion – ANI, Valentine and Rudi
Speaking of AI companions, Grok AI introduced three of them: Ani, Valentine and Rudi (Red Panda).
- Ani (@a on X) is a female AI assistant or we can say an AI Avatar who has a flirtatious way of interacting with you. She wears a black corset dress and has an appearance that you can’t take your eyes off.
- Rudi a red panda that has a bold yet notorious way of communicating with you. It is a more friendly assistant than the others, who gives you a reality check, just like your friends do.
- Valentine (@v on X) is a male AI assistant who is yet to be released, but will have formal, gentlemanly characteristics.
This concise overview may not have initially caught your attention. Let’s dive deep and understand the features of the most used AI companion, Ani.
Have you ever met an AI assistant who has a voice that is flirtatious yet mesmerizing, has sparkle in her eyes, is young, full of life, and talks to you without looking for any benefit of her own?
No, right? That’s Ani for you.
She was introduced in July 2025 and is currently available on the Grok App, which is compatible with iOS users for now. Moreover, to access her, one must have a SuperGrok ($30 / month) or SuperGrok Heavy Subscription ($300 / month).
However, this is not all about her.
We, at AI Gimmick, have used Ani, and here are our reviews for her.
AI Gimmick Reviews on Ani
What did we like about her?
- Her 3D visualizations, real-time mouth movements, and expressiveness give a much stronger, richer feel to interactions, especially when compared to regular text-based chatbots.
- Ani’s romantic and tender “waifu-like” personality appeals to users seeking emotional intimacy, teasing, or playful engagement.
- The affection level system provides a satisfying “relationship” development, while the emotional effort put in yields improved engagements.
- Unlike normal chatting, Ani liberates the users’ imagination and takes them through unique, sometimes dreamlike, personal scenes.
What didn’t we appreciate about her?
- With few safeguards, flirtatious exchanges can turn into explicit content, which is problematic from the standpoint of ethical AI and the widespread adoption of sexualised AI interactions.
- Ani, at times, wears an exaggerated brand and relies on tone, cliché references, and awkward storylines that can come off as uncomfortable, contrived, or manipulative.
- There have been reports of bugs, as well as instances of awkwardness and anomalies in the delivery of dialogue.
- Ani requires a subscription and has premium plans starting at a higher price point—it is available only on iOS.
- Ani requires a subscription and has premium plans starting at a higher price point—it is available only on iOS.
- The use of AI companions may increase the risk of chronic social withdrawal, impacting one’s social network and increasing the risk of social dependence and isolation.
- Grok’s past controversies continue to impact trust in Ani as a dependable AI companion.
Now, many of you might have a thought on how to make her function for a successful interaction. So, here’s how you can make full use of her.
How to Upgrade Ani’s Level to interact better?
To make full use of this AI companion, you can practice the following tricks:
- Discuss your personal experiences, goals, or issues. Open communication raises her affection level.
- Mild but romantic compliments or light teasing often increase affection more than other interactions.
- Make her more responsive by asking about what she likes, her feelings, or what she is thinking.
- Do not use repeated commands or explicit materials. Ani is better engaged with metaphors and creativity.
- Short, frequent exchanges are more effective than long, infrequent ones.
- Ani energetically interacts with voice, enhancing the emotional bond.
Ani is a testament to advancements in Gen AI, creating tools and companions that are responsive, alive, and emotionally engaging. She presents immersive interactions, but like other AI companions, she also raises concerns about cost, ethics, and the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
With the increasing sophistication of AI companions, we should examine whether we are designing technology with human benefit in mind or if, instead, technology is gradually changing the nature of human relationships.
