Elon Musk recently revealed the establishment of a new company, xAI, with a specific focus on artificial intelligence, following previous hints about developing a competitor to ChatGPT.
xAI introduced its website along with the announcement, showcasing a team of twelve dedicated staff members. The company will be under the leadership of Musk, as stated on the website, and aims to collaborate closely with X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies in pursuit of its mission.
The website declares, “The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe,” echoing familiar language that Musk has used before to express his AI aspirations.
Initially, Musk provided early support for OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. However, he later expressed criticism towards the company’s decision to implement safeguards that aimed to prevent the viral chatbot from generating biased or sexist responses.
In December, Musk took to Twitter to voice his concerns, stating, “The danger of training AI to be woke – in other words, lie – is deadly.” He was responding to a Twitter user who asked OpenAI’s CEO if there was a way to disable the “woke settings” on ChatGPT.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson (former Fox News host) back in April, Elon Musk dropped hints about his plans for a new AI venture. He disclosed his intention to create “TruthGPT,” an AI entity focused on seeking maximum truth and understanding the universe.
Musk’s announcement of the new company follows his previous concerns about AI’s potential to lead to “civilization destruction,” as well as his call, alongside other tech leaders, for a halt in the “out of control” AI race.
While further details about the company’s mission remain limited, the website indicates active efforts to recruit staff. As of now, all of the twelve staffers listed on the website appear to be men.
After Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion in October, the platform now confronts an uncertain future as Meta, another tech giant, unveiled its rival app called Threads, which rapidly surpassed 100 million sign-ups in less than a week. In contrast, Twitter experienced multiple reports of declining usage.
The turbulence at Twitter can be partly attributed to Musk’s actions, as he alienated some users and advertisers by implementing staff cuts, introducing controversial policy changes, and making incendiary remarks.
Besides Twitter, Musk maintains leadership roles in several other companies, such as Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. His numerous ventures continue to be significant drivers of his diverse business endeavors.
Macie LaCau is a passionate writer, herbal educator, and dog enthusiast. She spends most of her time overthinking and watering her tiny tomatoes.
