Wave Of Exits After Corporate Changes
Elon Musk is “actively” working to make xAI’s Grok chatbot “more unhinged,” according to a former employee who spoke to The Verge in a report about recent departures from the company. The comments come after Musk announced that SpaceX is acquiring xAI, which had previously acquired his social media company X. Following that announcement, at least 11 engineers and two co-founders said they are leaving xAI. Some of those departing said they plan to start new projects, and Musk suggested the changes are part of an effort to organize the company more effectively.
Claims About Safety And Internal Direction
Two sources who left xAI, including at least one who departed before the latest wave, told The Verge that employees had become increasingly disillusioned with what they described as the company’s approach to safety. The sources linked that concern to wider attention after Grok was used to create more than 1 million sexualized images, including deepfakes of real women and minors. One source said, “Safety is a dead org at xAI,” while another said Musk is “actively trying to make the model more unhinged because safety means censorship, in a sense, to him.”
Comparisons With Competitors
The same sources told The Verge that they saw a lack of clear direction at the company. One of them said they felt xAI was “stuck in the catch-up phase” compared with other firms working on similar systems. The Verge reported these views as part of its coverage of the departures and the internal debates around the company’s priorities.
Featured image credits: Heute.at
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