Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has founded a new artificial intelligence (AI) company called X.AI Corp, according to recent reports. Musk is assembling a team of AI experts, researchers, and engineers for the venture, which is said to be part of a wider plan to create an “everything app” under the brand “X.” Musk, who helped found OpenAI in 2015, left the organization in 2018 and has been critical of it, and its ChatGPT software, ever since. X.AI’s incorporation in Nevada was filed on March 9, with Musk as its sole director and Jared Birchall, the director of Musk’s family office, as its secretary. X.AI has allowed the sale of 100 million shares for the company, which is privately held.
Rumors about Musk’s plans to launch an AI company have been circulating for some time. Recent reports reveal that he has purchased thousands of graphic processing units (GPUs) to power an upcoming generative AI product. The company is reportedly seeking funding from SpaceX and Tesla investors to get started, with two researchers from Alphabet-owned DeepMind, including scientist Igor Babushckin, joining the company’s team. The X.AI name matches the branding of the X Corp. name Musk has assigned to Twitter and his vision of an “everything app.”
Despite Musk’s involvement with OpenAI, he has openly opposed the organization and its ChatGPT software, calling it “too woke” and a “closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.” In February, he hinted at an alternative to ChatGPT, saying “What we need is TruthGPT.” Musk was also a co-sponsor of an open letter calling for a six-month pause on the development of AI technology more powerful than GPT-4.
What we need is TruthGPT
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2023
It’s no secret that Elon Musk has been vocal about the potential dangers of AI, warning that “out of control” development could pose “profound risks to society and humanity.” Yet, the billionaire entrepreneur seems to be undeterred, having recently created a new AI company, X.AI Corp, according to state filings in Nevada. The company, which was incorporated last month, currently has Musk listed as its sole director and Jared Birchall, the director of Musk’s family office, as its secretary.
The filing indicates that Musk started the business on March 9th, 2023, and rumors have been swirling for days that the entrepreneur has been buying thousands of graphic processing units (GPUs) to power an upcoming generative AI product. The Financial Times even reported that Musk is planning to create an AI firm to compete with the Microsoft-backed OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 but left in 2018.
Musk has been openly critical of OpenAI and its ChatGPT software, recently calling it too “woke” and criticizing it as a “closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.” He even signed an open letter calling for a minimum six-month pause on the development of AI technology more powerful than GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest AI language model.
The AI startup, X.AI Corp, is said to be part of a wider plan to create an “everything app” under the brand “X.” Musk recently announced that Twitter Inc had been merged into the new umbrella company X Corp, with its domicile shifting from Delaware to Nevada.
Despite his concerns about the potential dangers of AI, Musk seems to believe that he can create an AI company that adheres to a decentralist platform and aids humanity. Only time will tell if X.AI Corp will be able to achieve that goal, but it is clear that Musk is not afraid to push the boundaries of what is possible with technology.
In recent months, OpenAI has become a widely recognized name on the backs of technology like ChatGPT and GPT-4 and is partially responsible for kicking off Microsoft and Google’s current push to integrate AI tools more deeply into many of their products. However, Musk has been openly opposed to OpenAI, the AI organization that he co-founded in 2015 but walked away from in 2018.
Musk is reportedly listed in the documents as the sole director of X.AI, with ex-Morgan Stanley banker Jared Birchall serving as its secretary. According to sources familiar with Musk’s plans, he is putting together a team of AI experts, researchers, and engineers for the venture, with scientist Igor Babushckin from Alphabet-owned DeepMind reportedly leading the research. The company is said to be part of a broader strategy to create an “everything app” under the brand “X.”
It remains to be seen how X.AI will differentiate itself from OpenAI or other AI startups, but Musk’s previous involvement in AI ventures and his ambitious plans for the company have generated significant interest and speculation. As with any new technology, there are both potential benefits and risks associated with AI, and it will be important for companies like X.AI to approach AI development responsibly to ensure that the technology benefits humanity as a whole.
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