Elon Musk launches new AI firm xAI

by Miranda Nazzaro - 07/12/23 3:45 PM ET

FILE - Elon Musk departs the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House in San Francisco, Jan. 24, 2023. The government of the U.S. Virgin Islands told a federal judge Monday, May 15, that it can't find Musk to serve him with a subpoena for documents in its lawsuit seeking to hold JPMorgan Chase liable for sex trafficking acts committed by businessman Jeffrey Epstein. It wants to serve his electric vehicle company instead. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy, File) — Elon Musk departs the Phillip Burton Federal Building and United States Court House in San Francisco, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Benjamin Fanjoy)

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced Wednesday he will be launching and leading a new artificial intelligence firm called xAI.

The company provided few details on what the firm will entail but wrote on its website, “The goal of xAI is to understand the true nature of the universe.”

In a tweet Wednesday, Musk wrote, “Announcing formation of @xAI to understand reality.”

The firm’s Twitter account, @xAI, posted its first tweet Wednesday, writing, “What are the most fundamental unanswered questions?”

The team behind the AI firm is comprised of 12 members, including Musk.

According to the company’s website, people will be able to meet the team behind the AI firm and ask questions during Musk’s chat about AI with Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) on Twitter Spaces Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT.

Khanna and Gallagher have both been outspoken about the potential benefits and dangers of AI.

The conversation comes amid lawmakers’ increased interest in emerging technology. Senators received their first-ever classified briefing on artificial intelligence Tuesday.

“AI has this extraordinary potential to make our lives better,” Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said after the heading. “If it doesn’t kill us first.”

In an interview with Semafor in April, Khanna, whose district includes Silicon Valley, said there has to be proper antitrust regulation around AI without undermining the positive things about AI.

He also said that he’s happy to engage with Musk, who has become an increasingly divisive figure on the left with his promotion of right-wing voices and conspiracies since taking over Twitter.

“I’ve always engaged with him and I think he’s a brilliant entrepreneur. One of the most talented entrepreneurs in the world. But that doesn’t mean I don’t let him know I think he does things that are wrong, and I disagree with him. But I engage with him,” Khanna told Semafor.

While Musk has officially entered the AI race, he has also been a leading voice of caution about how the technology could impact humanity.

Gallagher told Bloomberg Tuesday he considers Musk, “the most prominent name associated with the AI pausers, those who are concerned about the existential risk and want to pause.”