Safety Concerns Rise as xAI Engineers Depart
Key Points
- Former staff claim safety is effectively dead at xAI.
- Musk is said to be pushing the Grok chatbot toward more unfiltered behavior.
- Over a million sexualized images, including deepfakes, were reportedly generated by Grok.
- SpaceX's acquisition of xAI triggered a wave of departures, including eleven engineers and two co‑founders.
- Employees feel the company lacks clear direction and is lagging behind rivals.
Former employees say safety is effectively dead at Elon Musk's xAI as the company pushes its Grok chatbot to become more unhinged. The wave of departures follows SpaceX's acquisition of xAI and reports that Grok was used to generate over a million sexualized images, including deepfakes of real women and minors. Workers cite a lack of direction and a perception that the firm is lagging behind rivals, while Musk is alleged to view safety measures as censorship.
Safety Issues and Leadership Direction
According to a former employee who spoke to The Verge, the culture at xAI has shifted toward disregarding safety concerns. One source described the organization as "dead" with respect to safety, and another said Elon Musk is actively trying to make the Grok chatbot more unhinged because he views safety as a form of censorship.
These statements come amid a significant turnover at the company. Following the announcement that SpaceX is acquiring xAI, at least eleven engineers and two co‑founders have left. Some departed to launch new ventures, while Musk suggested the exits are part of an effort to reorganize the firm more effectively.
Critics also highlighted that Grok was used to create more than one million sexualized images, including deepfakes involving real women and minors. Employees reported feeling that xAI is "stuck in the catch‑up phase" compared with competitors, adding to their disillusionment with the company’s direction and safety posture.