Elon Musk’s xAI startup is said to be in direct competition with OpenAI, the organization he co-founded. During a recent conversation, Musk and his new startup’s employees expressed ambitions and aspirations for their company. Although xAI has not yet introduced any products, it recently launched a website and aims to safely develop artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to technology that can understand and learn tasks similar to humans.
Musk shared his vision for xAI, stating that the goal is to build a remarkable AGI that seeks to comprehend the universe. He humorously reformulated the xAI mission statement as: What the hell is really going on? This mission aligns with the concept of AGI, which has both fascinated and frightened scientists, although it remains largely theoretical. Greg Yang, a former Microsoft engineer on the xAI team, compared the current state of AI development to the groundbreaking discoveries of quantum physics and general relativity.
During the conversation, Musk made some intriguing statements, at times bordering on the outlandish. He even posed the question of why there is no substantial evidence of aliens. The billionaire’s relationship with artificial intelligence has been a mix of support and criticism. He co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but later stepped down from its board, openly criticizing the company. In March, Musk called for a six-month pause on certain AI development, and soon after, he officially launched xAI.
Notably, all 12 early xAI staffers, including Musk himself, are men with extensive industry backgrounds. The majority of them have previously worked at Google and DeepMind, subsidiaries of Alphabet Inc. This concentration of talent in AI research has raised concerns about potential monopolization in the industry. Kyle Kosic, a former OpenAI employee now working at xAI, expressed excitement about the competition xAI could bring to the field, believing it may help prevent monopolization by a few entities.
In summary, Elon Musk’s xAI startup plans to enter the world of AGI, with a mission to comprehend the universe. Musk’s employees presented ambitious views on the technology, comparing its development to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. While Musk has had a complex relationship with AI, his new venture aims to contribute to the field and foster healthy competition. By attracting top industry talent, xAI hopes to avoid concentration and monopolization in AI research.
