Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator known for his ambitious plans and impressive track record, is reportedly developing a new AI start-up called X.AI to take on OpenAI, the group he co-founded in 2015. According to reports, Musk has assembled a team of top AI researchers and engineers and has secured over 10,000 high-powered GPU processors from Nvidia for the project.
The Financial Times reports that Musk has incorporated X.AI and changed the name of Twitter to X Corp as part of his plans to create an “everything app” under the brand “X”. The new venture would be separate from Musk’s other companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Musk has also suggested that Tesla’s supercomputer, Dojo, could be opened up to other companies as a service.
Musk’s entry into the generative AI market, which is increasingly crowded and well-financed, will add yet another venture to his diverse portfolio of responsibilities and investments. The market includes tech giants and start-ups that have raised billions of dollars in recent months.
Musk’s interest in AI safety is well-known, and his departure from OpenAI in 2018 was reportedly due in part to clashes with its management over attitudes towards AI safety. Musk is concerned about the potential for models like GPT-4 to spread falsehoods and show political bias. This concern is somewhat ironic, given that he has been a strong supporter of one of the major US political parties, despite previously stating that Twitter would remain non-partisan.
X.AI’s goal to create an “everything app” under the brand “X” is similar to WeChat, a super app in the Chinese market run by tech giant Tencent. Musk’s recruitment of top AI talent from labs like DeepMind suggests that X.AI will be a serious player in the generative AI market.
It remains to be seen what specific products and services X.AI will offer, but Musk’s track record suggests that he will bring his characteristic ambition and innovation to the new venture. With Musk at the helm, X.AI has the potential to shake up the generative AI market and pose a serious challenge to established players like OpenAI.
