xAI launches Grok Build coding agent to compete with Anthropic’s Claude

Elon Musk’s xAI is rolling out Grok Build, its first AI coding agent, as the startup seeks to close a performance gap with Anthropic’s Claude in software-development tools. The product is in early testing and available only to paying subscribers. xAI said Grok Build can complete complex coding tasks based on user commands. The launch marks xAI’s first major push into professional coding, a high-value segment of the AI market where Musk has acknowledged the company trails rivals. The move comes as Musk restructures xAI ahead of a planned SpaceX initial public offering expected in 2026. The effort has included layoffs, new partnership deals and hiring to replace departed founding members. In April 2026, xAI agreed to partner with AI coding company Cursor on coding and computing resources. Bloomberg reported that Cursor engineers have worked with xAI in recent weeks, while several key xAI engineers have recently left, including Devendra Chaplot and Beibin Li.