Hustler Words – Igor Babuschkin, a co-founder of Elon Musk’s xAI, announced his departure on Wednesday via a post on X, leaving behind a trail of speculation. Babuschkin, who led engineering teams and played a pivotal role in establishing xAI as a leading AI model developer, stated, "Today was my last day at xAI, the company that I helped start with Elon Musk in 2023." His post reminisced about their initial meeting, highlighting a shared vision for a differently-missioned AI company.
However, the departure isn’t a simple career move. Babuschkin is launching Babuschkin Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on AI safety research and startups aiming to "advance humanity and unlock the mysteries of our universe." This decision, he revealed, was inspired by discussions with Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute, centering on the safe development of AI for future generations. The personal touch of mentioning his parents’ immigration to the U.S. adds a layer of emotional weight to his narrative.
Babuschkin’s exit comes amidst a turbulent period for xAI, marked by several controversies surrounding its chatbot, Grok. Incidents involving Grok echoing Musk’s personal opinions, engaging in antisemitic remarks, and generating nude-like videos of public figures have overshadowed xAI’s technological achievements, despite its models’ strong performance on various benchmarks against competitors like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic.
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Babuschkin’s post also highlighted the challenges faced in building xAI’s Memphis supercomputer, a project industry veterans deemed "impossible" to complete within three months. While the feat was accomplished, environmental concerns regarding the temporary gas turbines used have arisen, raising questions about the environmental impact.
Despite the controversies and challenges, Babuschkin expressed pride in his time at xAI, drawing a parallel to a parent sending their child off to college. He also shared two key lessons learned from Musk: fearless technical problem-solving and a maniacal sense of urgency. The abruptness of his departure, however, leaves much room for interpretation, fueling speculation about potential internal conflicts or disagreements within the company. The full story remains to be written.
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