Analyze Grok AI's unique features, real-time capabilities, and how it differentiates itself in the competitive AI landscape.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, a new contender has emerged that is challenging the dominance of established players like OpenAI's ChatGPT. Grok AI, developed by Elon Musk's xAI company, represents a bold new approach to conversational AI that combines cutting-edge technology with a distinctive personality and real-time information access.
Launched in November 2023, Grok AI quickly gained attention for its unique characteristics, including its witty and sometimes rebellious personality, direct access to real-time information from X (formerly Twitter), and its foundation in the "Grok" philosophy of intuitive understanding. Unlike other AI models that prioritize neutrality and safety above all else, Grok embraces a more human-like approach to conversation, complete with humor, sarcasm, and even a touch of rebellion.
This comprehensive review explores Grok AI's journey from its inception to its current status as a rising star in the AI landscape. We'll examine its technical architecture, compare its capabilities with ChatGPT, analyze its real-world applications, and consider its impact on the future of conversational AI. Whether you're a developer, researcher, or simply curious about the latest developments in AI technology, this guide will provide valuable insights into one of the most intriguing AI models to emerge in recent years.
Grok AI represents more than just another large language model; it signifies a shift in how we think about AI personality and information access. What sets Grok apart is not just its technical prowess but also its distinct approach to AI development, which emphasizes:
The term "Grok" comes from Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science fiction novel "Stranger in a Strange Land." It means to understand something so thoroughly that you become one with it—a deep, intuitive understanding that goes beyond surface knowledge. This philosophy underpins Grok AI's approach to information processing and conversation.
Understanding Grok AI requires examining its origins and the context in which it was developed. Created by xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company founded in 2023, the model emerged from Musk's vision for an AI that would be more aligned with human values and curiosity. The company, led by a team of AI researchers with backgrounds at top tech companies and academic institutions, set out with the ambitious goal of developing an AI that could "understand the true nature of the universe."
The development of Grok was significantly influenced by Musk's experiences with AI, including his previous involvement with OpenAI and his concerns about the direction of AI development. Musk has been vocal about the need for AI that prioritizes truth-seeking, curiosity, and a healthy dose of skepticism, rather than simply optimizing for safety and political correctness. These concerns shaped the development philosophy behind Grok.
Grok's development team comprises a diverse group of researchers and engineers with expertise in natural language processing, machine learning, and cognitive science. Many team members previously worked at leading tech companies including Google, DeepMind, and OpenAI, bringing valuable experience in large-scale AI systems. The team also includes researchers with backgrounds in philosophy and cognitive science, reflecting the company's focus on creating AI with deeper understanding.
What distinguishes the Grok team is their interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from computer science, neuroscience, and even comedy writing. This holistic perspective has enabled them to address some of the fundamental challenges in creating AI with genuine personality and the ability to engage in nuanced, human-like conversation.
Grok AI has undergone rapid development since its initial announcement, with each iteration introducing substantial improvements in performance, capabilities, and personality. This rapid progress reflects both the team's technical expertise and their focus on creating an AI that truly embodies the "Grok" philosophy of deep understanding.
The first version of Grok, released in early access to X Premium+ subscribers in November 2023, featured 33 billion parameters and demonstrated strong performance on various benchmarks. What immediately set it apart was its distinctive personality and ability to access real-time information from X. The model quickly gained attention for its witty responses and willingness to tackle controversial topics that other AI models might avoid.
Subsequent updates have enhanced Grok's capabilities while refining its personality. The team has worked to balance the model's rebellious nature with responsibility, ensuring that while Grok is willing to challenge conventional wisdom, it still provides accurate and helpful information. The model's ability to process and understand real-time information from X has also been improved, making it increasingly valuable for users seeking current insights.
Assembling a diverse training dataset with emphasis on web content up to 2023 and real-time access to X/Twitter data.
Developing a transformer architecture optimized for both factual accuracy and personality expression.
Training the model on diverse data and fine-tuning it to develop its distinctive personality and real-time capabilities.
Grok's development philosophy emphasizes curiosity, truth-seeking, and a willingness to question established norms. Rather than simply optimizing for safety and neutrality, the team has focused on creating an AI that can engage in genuine, nuanced conversation while maintaining accuracy and helpfulness.
At the heart of Grok AI's impressive performance lies its innovative technical architecture, which combines established transformer-based approaches with novel optimizations designed to support its distinctive personality and real-time information access. The model's architecture represents a significant departure from conventional LLM designs, incorporating several key innovations that enhance its capabilities and user experience.
Like most modern large language models, Grok is built on the transformer architecture introduced in the paper "Attention Is All You Need" by Vaswani et al. However, the xAI team has made substantial modifications to this foundation, creating an architecture that not only excels at natural language processing but also supports the model's unique personality and real-time information capabilities.
Grok's architecture consists of several interconnected components that work together to process and generate natural language with personality and real-time awareness. These components have been carefully designed and optimized to handle the complexities of maintaining a consistent personality while accessing and processing current information.
Grok's training methodology represents another area of innovation, with the team developing specialized techniques to optimize the learning process for both factual accuracy and personality development. The training pipeline consists of several stages, each designed to progressively enhance the model's capabilities.
The initial pretraining phase uses a diverse corpus of text data carefully curated to balance factual information with content that exhibits personality and humor. This corpus includes web pages, books, academic papers, and social media content, with special attention paid to the quality and diversity of sources. The team employed advanced data filtering techniques to remove low-quality content while preserving the variety of expression styles.
Following pretraining, the model undergoes several fine-tuning stages, each targeting specific capabilities. These include personality fine-tuning, which teaches the model to maintain consistent personality traits; real-time information processing, which enhances the model's ability to incorporate current events; and conversational fine-tuning, which improves the model's ability to engage in natural, engaging dialogue.
One of Grok's most significant contributions to the field of large language models is its focus on efficiency in real-time processing. The team has developed several techniques to reduce the computational resources required for both training and inference, making the model more responsive and cost-effective to deploy.
Developing Grok presented several technical challenges, particularly in balancing personality with accuracy and integrating real-time information without compromising response quality. The team had to address issues like maintaining consistent personality traits, avoiding misinformation from real-time sources, and ensuring that the model's rebellious nature didn't compromise its helpfulness.
Grok AI boasts an impressive array of capabilities that position it as a formidable competitor in the large language model space. Its features span a wide range of natural language tasks, from basic text generation to complex reasoning and creative applications. What distinguishes Grok is not just the breadth of its capabilities but also the unique personality and real-time awareness it brings to each interaction.
The model's capabilities can be broadly categorized into several key areas, each representing a significant advancement in natural language processing. These capabilities have been rigorously tested against industry benchmarks, with Grok demonstrating performance that rivals or exceeds that of established Western models in several areas.
One of Grok's standout features is its exceptional conversational abilities, enhanced by a distinctive personality that sets it apart from other AI models. Unlike the neutral, sterile responses typical of many AI assistants, Grok engages with humor, wit, and even a touch of rebellion. Key aspects of its conversational abilities include:
Perhaps Grok's most distinctive capability is its ability to access and process real-time information from X (formerly Twitter). This feature sets it apart from virtually all other large language models, which are limited to their training data and have knowledge cutoffs. Grok's real-time capabilities enable:
Grok demonstrates strong capabilities in code generation and technical tasks, making it a valuable tool for developers and technical professionals. Trained on a diverse corpus of code from multiple programming languages and frameworks, it can assist with various aspects of the software development process:
Grok excels at research and analysis tasks, particularly when they require synthesizing information from multiple sources or understanding current trends. The model's ability to access real-time information from X gives it a unique advantage in research applications:
Beyond analytical tasks, Grok demonstrates impressive creative capabilities, generating original content across various formats and styles. The model's personality shines in creative applications, producing content that is not only technically proficient but also engaging and entertaining:
What truly sets Grok apart are its unique features that combine technical capability with personality. The model's willingness to tackle controversial topics, its use of humor and sarcasm, and its ability to access real-time information create a user experience that is both informative and entertaining.
As Grok AI has gained prominence, many comparisons have been drawn between it and OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has become the benchmark for conversational AI. While both models belong to the same family of large language models and share some architectural similarities, there are significant differences in their capabilities, personality, and approach to information access. This comparison examines these differences across several key dimensions to provide a nuanced understanding of where each model excels.
It's important to note that both models continue to evolve rapidly, with regular updates introducing new capabilities and improvements. This comparison reflects the state of both models as of late 2023, but the landscape may shift as development continues on both fronts.
One of the most striking differences between Grok and ChatGPT lies in their personality and communication style. While ChatGPT maintains a neutral, helpful, and somewhat formal tone, Grok embraces a more human-like personality with humor, sarcasm, and even a rebellious streak. This fundamental difference shapes every interaction with the models:
Grok's personality is designed to be engaging and entertaining, often using humor and wit to make interactions more enjoyable. The model isn't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom or express opinions, creating a more dynamic and sometimes provocative conversational experience. This approach can make interactions feel more natural and less transactional, but it may not be suitable for all users or situations.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, maintains a consistently helpful and neutral tone that prioritizes clarity and safety. The model is designed to be broadly accessible and avoids expressing strong opinions or engaging in controversial topics. This approach makes ChatGPT a reliable tool for a wide range of applications, but some users may find its responses less engaging or personality-driven.
| Feature | Grok AI | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Personality | Witty, sarcastic, rebellious, humorous | Neutral, helpful, formal, cautious |
| Real-time Information | Access to real-time X/Twitter data | Limited to training data (knowledge cutoff) |
| Controversial Topics | Willing to discuss with critical perspective | Generally avoids or provides balanced views |
| Humor | Frequently uses humor and sarcasm | Limited humor, mostly straightforward |
| Code Generation | Strong with humorous explanations | Very strong with detailed explanations |
| Response Style | Conversational, engaging, sometimes provocative | Informative, structured, cautious |
| Access | X Premium+ subscription required | Free tier with paid subscription options |
Perhaps the most significant technical difference between Grok and ChatGPT is their approach to information access. Grok's ability to access real-time information from X gives it a substantial advantage in providing current insights, while ChatGPT is limited to its training data, which has a knowledge cutoff:
Grok can discuss current events, trending topics, and recent developments with authority, drawing on the latest information available on X. This makes it particularly valuable for users seeking insights into breaking news, emerging trends, or current public sentiment. The model can also verify claims against current information and provide context that reflects the most recent developments.
ChatGPT, while knowledgeable on a wide range of topics, cannot provide information about events that occurred after its training cutoff. This limitation can be significant for users seeking current information, though OpenAI has been working to address this through plugins and other integrations. However, even with these additions, ChatGPT's access to real-time information is not as seamless or integrated as Grok's native capability.
When evaluated on standard benchmarks, both models demonstrate impressive performance, with each excelling in different areas. Grok has shown strong performance on technical benchmarks, particularly in coding tasks where it scored 73% on the HumanEval benchmark. The model also performed well on the MMLU benchmark with a score of 62.9%, demonstrating broad knowledge across multiple domains.
ChatGPT, particularly the GPT-4 version, generally outperforms Grok on most academic and technical benchmarks, reflecting its larger parameter count and more extensive training. However, benchmark performance doesn't always translate to user experience, and Grok's unique capabilities in real-time information access and personality-driven interaction provide value that isn't captured by standard metrics.
It's worth noting that both models continue to improve rapidly, with regular updates enhancing their capabilities. Grok's development team has stated that they're focused on improving the model's performance while maintaining its distinctive personality, suggesting that the gap in benchmark performance may narrow over time.
The user experience offered by both models differs significantly, reflecting their different design philosophies and target audiences. Grok's interface is designed to be engaging and entertaining, with a conversational style that encourages longer interactions. The model's personality makes each interaction feel unique and less predictable, which can be more engaging for some users but potentially frustrating for others seeking straightforward information.
ChatGPT offers a more consistent and predictable user experience, with clear, structured responses that prioritize information delivery. This approach makes ChatGPT particularly well-suited for professional applications, educational use, and situations where users need reliable, straightforward information without personality-driven flourishes.
In terms of accessibility, ChatGPT currently has broader availability, with a free tier that allows anyone to try the model without financial commitment. Grok, on the other hand, is currently available only to X Premium+ subscribers, creating a barrier to entry that may limit its initial user base but also creates a sense of exclusivity.
The choice between Grok and ChatGPT depends largely on your specific needs and preferences. For users who value personality, humor, and real-time information access, Grok is the clear choice. For those who need reliable, straightforward information without personality-driven elements, ChatGPT may be more suitable. Many users will likely find value in using both models for different purposes, leveraging their respective strengths.
Grok AI's unique combination of personality, real-time information access, and technical capabilities has enabled its deployment across a diverse range of real-world applications. From content creation to market research, education to entertainment, the model's impact is being felt across numerous sectors. This section explores some of the most impactful applications of Grok AI and how organizations are leveraging its capabilities to solve real-world problems.
What distinguishes Grok's applications is often the model's ability to engage users with personality while providing current, relevant information. This unique combination has opened up new possibilities for human-AI interaction, particularly in areas where engagement and timeliness are valued.
One of the most widespread applications of Grok AI is in content creation and journalism, where its real-time information access and engaging personality make it an invaluable tool. Media organizations and content creators are leveraging Grok for:
In the business world, Grok AI is revolutionizing market research and analysis by providing real-time insights into consumer sentiment and emerging trends. Companies are using the model for:
In the education sector, Grok AI is making learning more engaging and current by incorporating real-world events and a conversational style that resonates with students. Educational applications include:
Developers are finding Grok AI to be a valuable coding assistant that not only provides technical help but does so with personality and humor. Applications in software development include:
The entertainment and creative industries have embraced Grok AI as a tool for ideation, content creation, and audience engagement. The model's personality and creative capabilities make it particularly valuable for:
While its rebellious personality might seem counterintuitive for customer service, some companies are finding that Grok's engaging style can enhance certain customer interactions, particularly in industries where personality is valued:
Beyond these established use cases, new applications for Grok AI continue to emerge as organizations explore the model's capabilities. Particularly promising areas include political analysis, cultural commentary, and therapeutic applications where the model's personality and critical thinking approach create unique opportunities for engagement and insight.
Like any technology, Grok AI comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these advantages and limitations is crucial for organizations and individuals considering its adoption. This balanced assessment provides insights into where Grok excels and where challenges remain, helping users make informed decisions about its application.
It's worth noting that the landscape of large language models is evolving rapidly, and many of the current limitations are likely to be addressed in future iterations. Similarly, new advantages may emerge as the technology continues to develop and find new applications.
Grok AI offers several distinct advantages that set it apart from other large language models and make it particularly suitable for certain applications:
Despite its impressive capabilities, Grok AI has several limitations that users should be aware of:
When evaluating Grok AI, it's important to consider the performance trade-offs involved. The model's focus on personality and real-time information access may come with trade-offs in other areas. For example, the resources dedicated to maintaining personality and processing real-time data might reduce computational capacity available for other tasks.
Similarly, the model's rebellious nature and willingness to tackle controversial topics, while creating more engaging interactions, may reduce its reliability for certain applications where consistency and neutrality are valued. This is a deliberate design choice that reflects Grok's target use cases but may be a limitation for applications requiring more predictable responses.
Users of Grok AI should be aware of the ethical considerations associated with a model that has personality and accesses real-time social media data. These include the potential for amplifying misinformation, the challenges of maintaining appropriate boundaries in conversations, and the responsibility of using a model that encourages questioning of established norms.
The xAI team is actively working on addressing current limitations and enhancing the model's capabilities. Areas of focus for future development include:
To get the most value from Grok AI, users should focus on applications that leverage its strengths, particularly real-time information access and engaging personality. Combining Grok with other specialized tools can help compensate for any limitations, creating a more comprehensive solution that addresses diverse requirements.
As Grok AI continues to evolve, its future prospects appear increasingly promising. The model's rapid development trajectory, combined with growing adoption across various sectors, suggests that it will play an increasingly significant role in the future of conversational AI. This section explores the anticipated developments, potential applications, and long-term implications of Grok AI as it continues to advance.
The team at xAI has outlined an ambitious roadmap for future development, focusing on expanding the model's capabilities, improving its performance, and addressing current limitations. These developments are likely to further strengthen Grok's position in the market and open up new possibilities for its application.
xAI has shared insights into its development roadmap, which outlines several key areas of focus for the coming months and years. These developments aim to enhance the model's capabilities while maintaining its distinctive personality and real-time information access:
xAI is pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy aimed at establishing Grok AI as a major player in the global AI market. This strategy includes several key initiatives:
Beyond product development, xAI is investing in fundamental research that could shape the future of large language models. Key research directions include:
As Grok AI continues to evolve, its impact on various industries is expected to grow significantly. Several sectors are likely to see particularly transformative changes:
The competitive landscape for conversational AI is likely to intensify as Grok continues to develop and other players introduce new models. This competition is expected to drive innovation across the industry, benefiting users through improved capabilities and more diverse options. Key factors that will influence Grok's competitive position include:
xAI's long-term vision extends beyond simply developing larger models. The company aims to create AI systems that can genuinely understand the universe and help humanity do the same. This vision positions Grok not just as a conversational AI but as a tool for exploration, discovery, and critical thinking that challenges users to see the world in new ways.
For individuals and organizations interested in experiencing Grok AI's unique capabilities, understanding the various access options and usage methods is essential. xAI has developed several ways to interact with the model, catering to different needs and technical requirements. This section provides a comprehensive guide to accessing and using Grok AI effectively.
Whether you're an individual user looking to explore Grok's personality and capabilities, a developer seeking to integrate it into your applications, or a business considering its adoption, there are options designed to meet your specific requirements. The accessibility of Grok AI has been a key focus for the company, with efforts to balance exclusivity with broader availability.
The primary way to access Grok AI is through an X Premium+ subscription, which provides exclusive access to the model along with other premium features on the X platform. This approach creates a sense of exclusivity while ensuring that users have a high-quality experience. The X Premium+ subscription offers several benefits:
For developers looking to integrate Grok AI into their applications, xAI offers API access that provides programmatic access to the model's capabilities. The API is designed to be developer-friendly with clear documentation and SDKs for popular programming languages:
Grok AI is accessible through the X mobile application for both iOS and Android devices. This provides a convenient way to interact with the model on the go, with features optimized for mobile use:
xAI offers several pricing options designed to accommodate different usage patterns and budget constraints:
Subscribe to X Premium+ to gain access to Grok AI through the X platform.
Set up your preferences and explore Grok's features and capabilities.
Start interacting with Grok, exploring its personality and real-time capabilities.
To get the most value from Grok AI, approach interactions with an open mind and a willingness to engage with its personality. Ask questions that leverage its real-time information access, and don't be afraid to challenge it or engage in witty banter. Remember that Grok is designed to be more than just an information provider—it's a conversational partner that encourages critical thinking and questioning.
The emergence of Grok AI represents more than just the introduction of another large language model; it signifies a significant shift in the global AI landscape. As a model developed by xAI with a distinctive philosophy and approach, Grok is reshaping perceptions about what AI can be and how it should interact with humans. This impact extends beyond technical achievements to influence the direction of AI development, user expectations, and even the philosophical underpinnings of artificial intelligence.
This impact is multifaceted, affecting technical development, user experience design, ethical considerations, and the competitive dynamics of the AI industry. Understanding this broader impact is crucial for comprehending the significance of Grok AI in the context of the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
Grok AI's emergence has challenged several prevailing paradigms in AI development, particularly the emphasis on safety and neutrality above all else. By demonstrating that AI can have personality, engage in controversial topics, and still provide value, Grok has opened up new possibilities for AI development:
Grok AI has introduced new competitive dynamics into the AI landscape, particularly in the conversational AI space. Its unique value proposition has forced other companies to reconsider their approaches and potentially develop more differentiated offerings:
As users experience Grok's unique capabilities, their expectations for AI interactions are evolving. This shift in user expectations is likely to influence the development of future AI systems across the industry:
Grok AI's technical innovations and philosophical approach are influencing research and development directions in the broader AI community. The model's unique features have attracted interest from researchers worldwide who are seeking to improve the capabilities and user experience of large language models:
Looking ahead, Grok AI's continued development could lead to several possible scenarios for the global AI landscape:
Despite its potential, Grok faces several challenges to achieving global impact, including limited accessibility through the X Premium+ subscription, potential concerns about the reliability of real-time information from social media, and the need to balance its rebellious nature with responsible AI development.
Grok AI's emergence as a distinctive voice in the large language model space represents a significant milestone in the evolution of artificial intelligence. From its engaging personality to its real-time information access, Grok has demonstrated that there's room for diversity in how AI systems interact with humans. The model's success reflects both xAI's innovative approach and the growing demand for AI experiences that go beyond mere information delivery.
Throughout this comprehensive review, we've explored Grok's technical architecture, capabilities, applications, and impact on the global AI landscape. What emerges is a picture of a model that not only competes with established alternatives but also carves out its own unique niche, particularly in areas where personality, real-time awareness, and critical thinking are valued. This success is rooted in thoughtful design choices, innovative architecture, and a deep understanding of what makes human-AI interaction meaningful and engaging.
As we conclude our exploration of Grok AI, several key takeaways emerge:
As Grok AI continues to evolve, it will likely play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of conversational AI. The model's development roadmap suggests continued improvements in capabilities, performance, and accessibility. Perhaps most importantly, Grok represents a step toward a more diverse and human-like AI ecosystem, where different systems have different personalities and approaches to interaction.
For users, developers, and businesses, Grok AI offers a compelling alternative to existing models, particularly for applications where engagement, personality, and real-time awareness are valued. Its combination of technical capability, distinctive personality, and real-time information access makes it well-suited to the challenges of our rapidly changing world.
Discover the personality, real-time capabilities, and critical thinking approach that set Grok apart from other AI models.
Try Grok AIWhile celebrating Grok's achievements, it's important to maintain a balanced perspective. The model, like all AI systems, has limitations and raises important questions about the future of human-AI interaction. Its development also occurs within a complex competitive landscape that presents both opportunities and challenges for the future of AI.
What is clear, however, is that Grok AI represents a significant step forward in the development of conversational AI. Its success demonstrates that the future of AI will be increasingly diverse, personality-driven, and connected to real-time information. As we continue to explore the possibilities of artificial intelligence, models like Grok will play a crucial role in shaping how we think about and interact with AI systems.
Grok AI's journey from a bold vision to a reality represents a testament to the importance of diversity in AI development. By challenging conventions and embracing personality, xAI has created a model that not only performs well but also engages users in a more human-like way. As we look to the future, Grok stands as a symbol of a more diverse and engaging AI landscape, where different models cater to different needs and preferences.
Grok AI differs from other models primarily through its distinctive personality, real-time information access from X, and willingness to tackle controversial topics. While ChatGPT maintains a neutral, helpful tone, Grok engages with humor, sarcasm, and critical thinking. Additionally, Grok can access real-time information from X, giving it knowledge of current events that other models lack.
Currently, Grok AI is available exclusively to X Premium+ subscribers. You can sign up for X Premium+ through the X platform, which will give you access to Grok along with other premium features. xAI has announced plans to expand access in the future, including API access for developers and potentially broader availability.
Grok AI's real-time information comes from X, which means it's subject to the same limitations and potential misinformation as any social media platform. While the model has mechanisms to evaluate and verify information, users should exercise critical thinking and verify important information from multiple sources, especially when dealing with breaking news or controversial topics.
While Grok's personality makes it well-suited for certain business applications, particularly in marketing, content creation, and customer engagement for brands with an irreverent voice, it may not be appropriate for all professional contexts. Businesses should carefully consider whether Grok's personality aligns with their brand voice and customer expectations before implementing it in professional applications.
xAI has implemented several safeguards to ensure Grok remains ethical while maintaining its personality. These include content filtering, context-aware responses, and mechanisms to prevent the generation of harmful content. The model is designed to question assumptions and think critically rather than simply being rebellious for its own sake. However, like all AI systems, it requires responsible use and oversight.
Currently, Grok AI has stronger capabilities in English, though it can understand and generate content in other languages to some extent. xAI has announced plans to expand multilingual capabilities as part of their development roadmap, with a goal of supporting 50+ languages by 2025. These improvements will likely come in future updates to the model.
Grok AI performs competitively on many technical benchmarks, scoring 73% on the HumanEval coding benchmark and 62.9% on the MMLU benchmark. While it generally scores below state-of-the-art models like GPT-4 on some metrics, it's important to note that benchmark performance doesn't capture all of Grok's unique capabilities, particularly its real-time information access and personality-driven interactions.
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