Despite his vocal skepticism of artificial intelligence, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is reportedly starting a new research firm called X.AI Corp. Reports from the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times suggest the new company might rival the current AI program, ChatGPT.
The company is currently registered in Nevada and has been built with an initial investment of $100,000. Musk has acquired hundreds of graphics processing units (GPUs) to power the project, and has hired two AI researchers from DeepMind. The CEO has declined to make any statement regarding the new enterprise.
OpenAI, the original organisation behind ChatGPT, proposed an AI-building freeze for six months in the belief that without appropriate oversight, the technology can be so powerful and advanced it might become hazardous. Musk too supported the initiative, however it appears his venture into the realm of AI is taking place simultaneously.
Predictions from International Data Corporation (IDC) report that by 2023, more than $100 billion will be spent on AI-based systems, which is more than double what was spent in 2019. It’s clear that AI technology is becoming more widely embraced and accepted – a movement that seems to be furthered by Musk’s own venture.
X.AI Corp is the newest addition to Elon Musk’s list of companies, which includes electric car maker Tesla, aerospace transportation services provider SpaceX, Boring Company, and Neuralink, an organisation devoted to connecting the human brain to computers through a device called the ‘Neural lace.’ Musk is the current CEO of four of these firms, and is known as an innovator who embraces challenges, such as the concept of an artificially intelligent, machine that can outthink humans in various challenges.
X.AI Corp’s future is still hazy since there is no mention of the project’s plans beyond the company’s registered name, and Musk has refused to comment. Nonetheless, the move is sure to add depth to the discussion of AI and its implications for society.
