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Elon Musk thinks Google currently has the best shot at leading the artificial intelligence race. In a post on X, he said the tech giant’s massive computing power and huge data advantage give it the upper hand. Musk added that this might not last forever, but for now, Google has the “highest probability” of being the leader, at least outside the realm of real-world AI, which involves machines interacting with the physical world.
He also said that other big AI players, including his own company xAI, are likely to do well for the foreseeable future. Musk’s comments come as competition in the AI space is heating up, with major U.S. developers scrambling to improve their models, secure more data center capacity, and attract users.
xAI recently rolled out Grok 4, its most advanced AI model to date. The release came shortly after OpenAI launched GPT-5 in August. Both companies made their models free for public use.
Google, meanwhile, is continuing to refine its Gemini chatbot and its different versions. According to AI research firm Artificial Analysis, GPT-5 is considered the most intelligent AI model available, followed by Grok 4. Gemini scores highest when it comes to speed and cost efficiency.
Google is also investing heavily to keep its advantage. On Wednesday, it announced plans to spend an extra $9 billion in Oklahoma over the next two years to expand AI infrastructure. The company is part of a select group dubbed “AI Hyperscalers,” which also includes Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon—firms pouring hundreds of billions into boosting their data center power to fuel the AI boom.
Right now, the race is tight, but Musk’s view is that Google’s sheer scale puts it slightly ahead of the pack, at least for the moment.