Elon Musk’s Inner Circle Shrinks: AI Division Loses Key Lieutenant

Another domino falls in Musk's empire—this time from the AI frontline.

Sources confirm the departure of a critical executive from Musk's artificial intelligence division, dealing another blow to the mercurial billionaire's tech ambitions. The exit follows a string of high-profile defections across Tesla, SpaceX, and now xAI.

Who's left holding the bag? Investors, as usual—while Musk's cult of personality keeps the valuation music playing.

In brief

• Facing the abuses of Grok, the co-founder of xAi chooses a responsible AI and leaves the ship.
• Igor Babuschkin breaks away from Musk’s vision to launch a safe and beneficial AI for humanity.
• Between controversies and cascading departures, Musk’s empire wavers on its artificial intelligence strategy.

Grok: an AI without limits that disturbs

Grok, swept 4-0 in chess by OpenAI, is the artificial intelligence signed by Elon Musk. It became known for its sarcastic tone, lack of filters, and even its ability to generate erotic videos. An approach radically opposed to the industry’s standards, often marked by ethical guardrails.

But this strategy shocks. Accused of selective censorship and dubious political stances, the AI Grok crystallizes criticism. The latest incident: a temporary suspension after relaying controversial statements about Israel and the United States. Upon its return, the artificial intelligence denounced censorship and then called the incident a stupid mistake. A new episode illustrating the risky line imposed by Musk.

Igor Babuschkin chooses another path

In a post on X, Igor Babuschkin officially announced his departure, stating that he now wants to work for a SAFE and beneficial artificial intelligence for humanity. A complete turn, almost in opposition to Grok’s original philosophy.

The engineer does not leave empty-handed. He founded Babuschkin Ventures, a venture capital company dedicated to AI safety research. The goal is twofold: to finance innovative projects and support startups capable of contributing to scientific and human progress.

A series of departures in Musk’s empire

This departure is not isolated. Within a month, Linda Yaccarino, former head of X, also stepped down after two years spent defending the indefensible: a platform plagued by controversies and the exodus of advertisers. She herself had to endure the departure of her right-hand man, Joe Benarroch, weakened by Elon Musk’s increasing pressure.

Babuschkin’s resignation therefore fits into a worrying dynamic for Musk. The billionaire, who regularly accuses OpenAI and its rivals of favoritism towards ChatGPT, continues to defend a radical vision of AI. But faced with these controversies and the multiplication of departures, more and more close collaborators seem to prefer to distance themselves.

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