In a move that perfectly blends high-tech AI and anime fandom, Elon Musk has revealed that his Grok AI platform now features an anime-style virtual companion—complete with gothic fashion and a look strikingly similar to Death Note’s Misa Amane.
Introducing Ani: Grok’s New Anime AI Girl
Unveiled on July 14th as part of a new update to Musk’s premium SuperGrok subscription service, the AI companion named Ani is a blonde, gothic-styled virtual character designed to appeal to fans of anime and digital companionship.
According to Musk, Ani can be activated by turning on the “companion” option in the SuperGrok settings. Once enabled, users are presented with several AI avatars to choose from, including:
Ani - The anime girl companion
Rudy - A friendly panda
Bad Rudy - An explicit, foul-mouthed variation
Chad - A male anime companion, labeled as Coming Soon
The design of Ani has raised eyebrows for her unmistakable resemblance to Death Note’s Misa Amane. It has been joked around that Ani was specifically crafted to be a non-copyrighted version of the beloved character. Both characters feature gothic clothing and long blonde hair, a nod that anime fans will instantly recognize.
This isn’t Musk’s first foray into anime-related antics. In 2023, the Tesla CEO made headlines after revealing that his then-girlfriend Amber Heard had cosplayed as Overwatch’s Mercy at his request. Musk has long flaunted his affection for anime, gaming, and internet culture, making this latest update to Grok unsurprising but still undeniably headline-worthy.
SuperGrok itself is a premium $300/month subscription to Musk’s xAI service, designed to provide users with enhanced capabilities and early access to experimental features. Musk claims Grok 4 the AI’s current model is "better than PhD level in every subject," and now it's apparently stepping into the waifu market.
The rollout of Ani comes during a growing cultural shift toward AI relationships. Surveys show that 40% of adults say they’d be open to dating an AI chatbot, while 26% admit they’ve flirted with one. Elon Musk's anime girl AI enters the market amid the viral popularity of AI companion apps like Replika and Character.AI, adding a new competitive layer to the evolving landscape of virtual relationships.
It’s a move that blends cutting-edge tech with niche internet subcultures and it could signal Musk’s interest in shaping how people interact with artificial intelligence emotionally, not just functionally.
With Chad, the male anime companion, still listed as coming soon, and further upgrades planned for SuperGrok, this is likely just the beginning of Musk’s push into AI companionship. Whether it’s a PR stunt, a genuine product feature, or a little of both, Musk is clearly betting that anime avatars and virtual personas will resonate with users especially in a digital age where loneliness and entertainment intersect more than ever.
As tech and fandom continue to merge, Musk’s latest update could be a signal of what the future holds for interactive AI and how it might look a lot more like your favorite anime character. Stay tuned for more updates at they come.