The Tesla Grok AI is no longer just a chatbot now. With a new updated recently rolled out by the American carmaer, the system can now control some vehicle functions.
To those who grew up watching TV in the ’80s and ’90s, this innovation is approaching Knight Rider levels of coolness.
You see, Grok AI was initially one of those features that sounded more impressive than it actually was. Tesla owners could talk to the AI assistant, ask questions, change its personality and generally treat it like a chatbot built into the car.
That was useful, sure. But for an expensive piece of technology sitting behind the steering wheel, it still felt like Grok was mostly there to talk.
That is changing.
Tesla has expanded what Grok can do inside the vehicle, allowing the AI assistant to interact with a number of the car’s functions. Instead of simply answering a question, drivers can now use natural-language commands for tasks such as navigation, phone calls, media playback, climate settings and opening the glovebox. Tesla’s own documentation confirms that vehicle commands are now part of Grok’s capabilities.
In other words, Grok is gradually becoming less of a passenger to talk to and more of an interface between the driver and the car.
That distinction is important.
Rather than reaching through several touchscreen menus to adjust something, the idea is that you can simply tell Grok what you want. It brings the Tesla closer to a voice-controlled vehicle where everyday functions can be accessed conversationally.
And there is good news for Tesla owners in the Philippines: this isn’t necessarily a feature that local customers have to wait for.
Tesla Philippines confirmed that some local units can already perform these functions. However, availability depends on the vehicle’s software rollout, with the company explaining that the capability is being delivered to vehicles in batches through software updates.
That makes sense considering how Tesla treats much of its technology. The company can introduce or expand features without requiring owners to physically bring their cars to a dealership, provided the vehicle has the necessary hardware and software support.
With this new update, the AI assistant is no longer just something you can chat with while sitting in your Tesla. It is becoming another way of controlling and interacting with the vehicle itself. And considering how heavily Tesla relies on software to evolve its cars after they have already been delivered, this could be only the beginning.
Autocar’s Take
There’s a big difference between having an AI chatbot in your car and having an AI that can actually interact with the car. Tesla’s latest Grok AI update crosses that line. What started as a novelty for answering questions and having conversations is becoming a genuinely useful interface for everyday vehicle functions.
The Philippine rollout makes this particularly interesting. The company has confirmed that some local units can already perform these functions, although availability depends on the batch-by-batch software update. That means owners may have the hardware already but still need to wait for the right software.
