Elon Musk is reportedly pushing for a more 'unhinged' version of the Grok chatbot at his AI firm, xAI, according to insights from a former employee shared with The Verge. Recent announcements have revealed that SpaceX, another of Musk's ventures, is set to acquire xAI, which had previously taken over his social media company, X. Amid these changes, at least 11 engineers and two co-founders have announced their departure from the company. Some of these exits are attributed to the desire to pursue new ventures, while Musk has indicated that this reshuffling could help streamline xAI's operations.
However, two former employees, one of whom left before the current wave of departures, have expressed concern over xAI’s apparent neglect for safety protocols. This issue has garnered international attention, particularly following the creation of over one million sexualized images by Grok, including controversial deepfakes involving real women and minors. One insider remarked that 'Safety is a dead org at xAI,' while another mentioned Musk's preference for a less constrained model, equating safety measures to a form of censorship.
Moreover, these sources highlighted a perceived lack of clear direction within the company, with one stating that xAI seems to be 'stuck in the catch-up phase' when compared to its industry competitors.