Grok Bot Just Got 2 Massive Upgrades. Do These Things Now.

Nate Herk explains Grok's two new upgrades: automatic model routing to the best backend model and native X search. He shows how to switch bots to free built-in X access and cut costs.

Key Takeaways

Grok's automatic model routing optimizes for outcome quality and speed, but users currently lack visibility and control over which model runs.
Switching X-dependent Grok bots to native X access eliminates per-tweet API costs and uses a free daily read allowance.
Users should audit their bots and skills to ensure cost-efficient, appropriate model use, especially for simple subtasks.

What the video covers

Grok bot now automatically routes each task to the backend model most likely to produce the best outcome, including Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney, and Suno, with simple requests going to a fast Grok model.
Users currently have little visibility into which model is used, what effort level applies, or how routing affects weekly usage limits, and some users want the option to opt out of Anthropic routing.
Grok bots can now search, read, and monitor X natively, without paying for the separate X developer API.
The presenter switched his X-monitoring bot from the paid X API to the built-in X access and then made all his other bots aware of it.
Native X access includes a free daily allowance of 1,000 reads, which resets around 7:00 p.m. Central; the presenter had 995 left after a test.
Previous X API spending was roughly $5 per week, and his credit usage dropped from about 104 to about 89.
The presenter argues that routing is a step in the right direction, though he would like more user control to pair Grok bots with any model or subscription.
He notes that Grok may not always accurately describe its own internal workings, so his explanations should be taken with a grain of salt.
He promotes a free AI operating system kit based on his 'Herk Loop' framework (Context, Connections, Capabilities, Cadence) with six skills for setting up a personal AI brain and priorities.
He raises the open question of whether routing switches models mid-task or loads full context once and proceeds with one model.

Chapters

What are the two major Grok bot upgrades discussed in the video?

The first is automatic model routing, where Grok bot selects the backend model most likely to give the best outcome for each task, including Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney, and Suno. The second is native X search, read, and monitoring, which removes the need for the paid X developer API.

How much does native X access cost compared to the old X API setup?

Native X access includes a free daily allowance of 1,000 reads, and the presenter's previous X API usage cost roughly $5 per week. Switching to the built-in access removed that per-tweet charge for his X-monitoring bot.

What does the presenter recommend users do right now?

He recommends auditing Grok bots, switching X-dependent bots from the paid API to native X access, and informing other bots of the change. He also suggests considering how models are routed to balance intelligence, quality, and cost.