Elon Musk launches xAI, a new company focused on developing an alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and exploring the mysteries of the universe. The team comprises executives with backgrounds in AI from companies like Google and DeepMind, and Musk’s involvement sparks both intrigue and criticism within the industry.
14 July 2023 – Entrepreneur Elon Musk has unveiled his latest venture, xAI, a company with the ambitious mission to “understand the true nature of the universe.” Comprising a team of executives from prominent AI companies such as Google’s DeepMind, Microsoft, and Tesla, xAI aims to build an alternative to OpenAI’s ChatGPT while exploring the mysteries of the universe.
Musk, who was involved in the creation of OpenAI but has since criticized the company, is now seeking to establish xAI as a leading player in the AI space. Despite his reservations about AI technology, Musk believes that xAI can make significant advancements in understanding the universe. The company’s website features a list of twelve team members, many of whom have past affiliations with Google and DeepMind, including Christian Szegedy, Igor Babuschkin, Zizhang Dai, Tony Wu, and Toby Pohlen.
Prominent among the new hires is Jimmy Ba, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and a co-author of the widely cited “Adam” paper on optimization in deep learning. Ba’s expertise and originality in AI methods make him a valuable addition to the xAI team. The company is actively recruiting experienced engineers and researchers, primarily in the Bay Area, as it aims to make significant strides in the AI field.
While Musk oversees multiple companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, Boring Co., and now xAI, his interest in AI has attracted attention. Industry experts acknowledge Musk’s credentials and anticipate his contribution to advancing AI technology. However, some have raised concerns about the lack of women on xAI’s founding team and have called for more inclusive voices in the industry. – source: Bloomberg
