Since the xAI-SpaceX merger was announced last week, bringing the two companies together (as well as the social media platform, some have also announced they are starting their own AI companies.
Co-founder Yuhai (Tony) Wu announced his departure on X, writing that it was “time for (his) next chapter. Jimmy Ba, another co-founder, posted something similar later that day, saying it was “time to recalibrate (his) gradient to the big picture. The departures mean that xAI now has only half of the original 12 co-founders.
It all comes after a change in plans for the future of the combined companies, which Elon Musk recently announced will include “space-based artificial intelligence” data centers and vertical integration involving “AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct communication with mobile devices and the world’s leading platform for real-time information and freedom of expression.” Musk also reportedly talked about plans to build an AI satellite factory and a city on the moon at an internal xAI meeting.
On Wednesday X, Musk wrote that “xAI was reorganized a few days ago to improve execution speed” and claimed that the process “unfortunately required parting ways with some people,” before inviting more people to apply to the company. He also released a recording of the 45-minute xAI internal meeting that announced the changes.
“We’re organizing the company to be more efficient at this scale,” Musk said during the meeting. He added that the company will now be organized into four main application areas: Grok Main and Voice, Coding, Imagine (images and video) and Macrohard (“which is intended to fully digitally emulate entire companies,” Musk said).