xAI has announced the addition of image generation capabilities to its API. Currently, only one model is available — grok-2-image-1212, which can generate up to ten images per request in JPG format. The cost per image is seven cents. For comparison, the startup Black Forest Labs, which partnered with xAI last year to launch image generation on the social network X, charges about five cents per image, while another provider, Ideogram, has a higher price — eight cents.
The xAI documentation notes that the API does not yet support quality, size, or style adjustments for images, and requests may be reviewed by the chat model. The company, which launched its API in October 2024, is actively seeking new revenue streams while developing flagship models such as Grok 3. Reportedly, xAI is in talks with investors about a possible funding round of ten billion dollars, which could raise its valuation to seventy-five billion dollars.
To expand its capabilities, xAI recently acquired a generative video startup and is actively expanding its data center in Memphis, which is used to train and run various models. This demonstrates the company’s ambition to broaden its technological horizons and strengthen its position in the generative AI market.
