Elon Musk has announced the establishment of a new company focused on artificial intelligence (AI), following his previous hints about creating a competitor to ChatGPT…
The newly formed company, called xAI, has launched a website and assembled a team of twelve staff members. Musk will lead xAI and collaborate closely with companies like X (Twitter) and Tesla to advance their mission.
According to the xAI website, the company aims to comprehend the true essence of the universe, which echoes Musk’s previous statements regarding his AI aspirations. While Musk was initially a supporter of OpenAI, the organization responsible for creating ChatGPT, he later criticized the implementation of safeguards that prevent the chatbot from producing biased or sexist responses, referring to it as training AI to be “woke” or deceptive.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, Musk teased his plans for a new AI venture called TruthGPT. He described it as a truth-seeking AI with a focus on understanding the universe. This recent announcement of xAI comes after Musk expressed concerns about the potential for AI to lead to the destruction of civilization. He joined other tech leaders in calling for a pause in the AI race, which he believes has become uncontrollable.
While specific details about xAI’s mission are scarce, the website indicates that the company is actively recruiting staff. Currently, all twelve members listed on the website appear to be men. Musk’s announcement of the new company coincides with a challenging period for him. Twitter, which Musk acquired for $44 billion in October, faces an uncertain future following the launch of Meta’s rival app, Threads. Reports suggest a decline in Twitter usage, and Musk’s controversial actions, staff reductions, policy changes, and inflammatory remarks have alienated some users and advertisers.
The formation of xAI marks Elon Musk’s entry into the artificial intelligence startup arena. The company comprises engineers with experience at major companies like OpenAI and Google. Musk has consistently expressed the need for regulation and a pause in AI development. The specific funding, objectives, and focus of xAI are not yet clear. The company’s website states that its goal is to comprehend the true nature of the universe. Further details about xAI’s intentions may be revealed during a Twitter Spaces chat scheduled for Friday.
Elon Musk was initially a prominent supporter of OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT. However, his relationship with the company has deteriorated due to his criticisms of ChatGPT’s perceived liberal bias. Musk expressed the desire for a “TruthGPT” that seeks maximum truth and raised concerns about OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit, open-source entity to a for-profit, closed-source one, particularly due to its close association with Microsoft.
In March, Musk signed an open letter calling for a pause in “Giant AI Experiments,” which has garnered significant support. He has emphasized the importance of AI safety for over a decade and called for the establishment of a regulatory body to oversee AI and ensure public safety. Musk has also raised objections to the data used by AI companies to train chatbots, including Twitter’s data scraping practices, and advocated for adequate compensation.
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for billions of dollars was followed by significant changes that led to the departure of notable figures like Shonda Rhimes, Gigi Hadid, and Stephen Fry, who protested against the platform’s transformation under Musk’s leadership.
