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The mission of xAI, as per its website, is to comprehend the fundamental nature of the universe and compete with established companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, creators of chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude.
In the spring, Musk reportedly acquired thousands of powerful GPU processors from Nvidia, essential for developing large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.
The xAI team comprises former members of renowned organizations such as DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Twitter, and Tesla, with experience on projects like DeepMind’s AlphaCode and OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 chatbots.
Musk disclosed plans for a new AI tool called “TruthGPT” in April, expressing concerns about existing AI companies prioritizing political correctness.
Greg Yang, co-founder of xAI, has outlined the startup’s focus on deep learning mathematics and the pursuit of a comprehensive theory for large neural networks to advance AI to the next level.
In August, there were indications that xAI was actively hiring, and founding member Toby Pohlen hinted at preparations for alpha testing.
xAI was officially incorporated in Nevada in March, distinguishing it from Musk’s other ventures like Twitter (previously “X Corp.”). However, the startup intends to collaborate with X (Twitter), Tesla, and other companies to achieve its mission.
xAI’s advisor, Dan Hendrycks, serves as the executive director of the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit in San Francisco. This organization published a letter in May, signed by tech leaders, advocating for the global prioritization of mitigating AI’s extinction risks, akin to other large-scale societal risks like pandemics and nuclear war.
This stance faced opposition from some in the tech community, including academics and ethicists, who argue that excessive focus on future AI threats distracts from the real harm caused by algorithms to marginalized communities today.
xAI did not provide an immediate response to requests for comments.
