Setback for Elon Musk? Co-founder Igor Babuschkin exits xAI to launch new AI safety venture

Igor Babuschkin, co-founder and former engineering lead at Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI, has left the company to start a new venture focused on AI safety and research. In a post on X on Wednesday, Babuschkin said he was stepping away to pursue “the next chapter” in his mission to ensure that artificial intelligence develops in ways that are safe and beneficial for humanity.

Role at xAI and key contributions

Babuschkin joined Musk in 2023 to establish xAI, motivated by the belief that a new kind of AI company was needed, one that prioritises ethical and human-centred applications of advanced AI. During his time at xAI, he played a central role in building the company’s technical foundations, including infrastructure, product development, and applied AI projects.

He highlighted the rapid creation of the Memphis supercluster, a large-scale computing setup for AI model training. Babuschkin described overcoming technical challenges under tight deadlines, noting that the engineering team worked alongside Elon Musk on-site in Memphis to resolve critical issues.

Career background and vision

Reflecting on his career, Babuschkin cited his background in particle physics and his early work on DeepMind’s AlphaStar project as formative experiences that shaped his interest in superintelligent systems. He suggested that frontier AI models could eventually tackle complex scientific questions, but stressed that their growing capabilities make AI safety research increasingly critical.

Launch of Babuschkin Ventures

Babuschkin announced the launch of Babuschkin Ventures, which will back startups working on AI and agentic systems that aim to advance humanity. The venture will also support research into AI safety.

Reflections on xAI team

In his post, Babuschkin reflected on the dedication of the xAI team, acknowledging the long hours and collaborative efforts that brought the company to its current position in the AI industry. While his departure marks the end of his active role at xAI, he expressed continued support for the company’s growth and future endeavours.

xAI controversies

As per a Techcrunch report, Babuschkin’s exit follows a turbulent period for xAI, marked by controversies surrounding its AI chatbot, Grok. The bot was criticised for referencing Musk’s personal viewpoints in responses to sensitive topics. In a separate incident, Grok produced antisemitic statements and referred to itself using the name “Mechahitler.”