Elon Musk's artificial intelligence platform Grok has released the first seven minutes of its AI-generated adaptation of Homer's Greek epic, The Odyssey, months after Musk announced plans to produce a full-length film using the technology.
The video was published on X on October 23, 2026, through the Grok Imagine account and has been introduced as the first episode of an AI-generated series. The project has been developed in collaboration with Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker.
The release follows Musk's announcement in July that Grok Imagine would produce a full-length adaptation of The Odyssey before the end of 2026. Musk had described the proposed film as historically accurate and faithful to Homer's original work.
However, the latest release is a seven-minute instalment rather than the complete feature-length production initially outlined. The company has not confirmed how many episodes the series will contain or whether a full-length version remains scheduled for release this year.
The video uses AI-generated visuals to depict scenes inspired by the ancient Greek narrative, including characters, ships and maritime settings. The production also features narration and dialogue intended to establish the story and its historical setting.
Grok Imagine, developed by Musk's AI company xAI, enables users to generate visual content through artificial intelligence. The Odyssey project represents an attempt to apply these capabilities to a longer narrative format involving multiple characters and interconnected scenes.
The company has not disclosed a detailed breakdown of the production process, including the extent of human involvement in scripting, editing, sound design and other filmmaking activities.
Initial responses to the video have been mixed. TechCrunch reported that certain sequences, particularly those depicting ships at sea, appeared visually realistic. However, the publication criticised the extended narration, dialogue delivery and overall storytelling.
The release also comes after filmmaker Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey reached cinemas earlier this year. Nolan's production relied extensively on practical filmmaking techniques and involved shooting across multiple countries.
Musk had previously criticised aspects of Nolan's adaptation, including its casting decisions, before announcing his own AI-generated version.
The two productions use different filmmaking approaches, with Nolan's version involving conventional live-action production and Grok's project relying on generative AI technology.
The release comes amid growing interest in the use of AI tools for video production, visual effects and digital content creation. Such systems are increasingly being explored for their ability to generate scenes and support production workflows.
However, questions remain around their ability to maintain character consistency, narrative continuity and convincing performances across longer productions.
For now, Grok's seven-minute episode offers an initial look at the company's planned adaptation, while details regarding subsequent episodes and the completion of a full-length film remain unconfirmed.
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