The pro-Hitler views of the Grok 4 chatbot on X are delaying its integration into Microsoft’s AI platform. Earlier this year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadellamoved quickly to assign engineers to test and deploy DeepSeek on Azure AI Foundry. It was an unusually fast process for a new model on Azure, and it also set a new standard for success.
See also: Elon Musk: Grok coming soon to Tesla vehicles
A few months later, Nadella moved to integrate xAI’s Grok 3 models, in a deal that saw them arrive in Azure AI Foundry just in time for the first day of Build developer in May. Elon Musk even appeared during Nadella’s Build keynote, in a somewhat pleasant discussion about his early days as a hands-on Microsoft employee.
Now, sources familiar with Microsoft's AI plans say the company is taking a much more cautious approach with the integration of xAI's latest Grok 4 model, following the rapid integration of models from competitors such as OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.
Musk unveiled Grok 4 early last month, just days after a series of pro-Hitler comments from the chatbot Grok on X surfaced. Grok’s Nazi sympathies have raised concerns at Microsoft, just as the company was preparing to launch Grok 4 on Azure AI Foundry. Rather than simultaneously releasing Grok 4 on Azure, as Microsoft does with most of its new OpenAI models, there has been no public announcement about when the new xAI model will be available through Microsoft’s AI services
See also: US announces $200 million contract for Grok
Microsoft has been conducting security testing on Grok 4 throughout July, a process where teams attack AI systems to find vulnerabilities or security issues. One source described some of the early red team reports on Grok 4 as “pretty nasty.”
Instead of rolling out Grok 4 to all Azure AI Foundry customers, Microsoft is now working on a private preview of the model — as Grok is back in the headlines for producing nude photos of Taylor Swift. This preview will only be available to a small number of customers, as Microsoft wants to ensure that Grok 4 is ready for business.
The availability of Grok 4 on Azure AI Foundry is important for xAI, as it gives Elon Musk’s AI company direct access to Microsoft’s enterprise customers . It’s equally important for Microsoft, as the company seeks to establish itself as a hosting company for AI models. Microsoft’s cautious approach with the Grok 4 preview means it’s unlikely we’ll see xAI’s latest model appear more broadly on Azure AI Foundry anytime soon.
Microsoft announced another AI-related shakeup this week, affecting Charles Lamanna ’s Business & Industry Copilot (BIC) teams . In June, the BIC team moved closer to the Microsoft 365 Copilot side, with Lamanna reporting to Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s head of experiences and devices.
See also: Turkey: Blocks access to Grok content
In an internal memo yesterday, Lamanna announced some changes to BIC leadership that will see Microsoft make Agent 365 an "official product initiative.".
