Elon Musk recently held a recruitment event for his new AI company, xAI, in San Francisco. At the event, Musk emphasized the company’s focus on speed and nimbleness in developing AI products, comparing xAI to an SR-71 jet. The event took place at The Pioneer Building, formerly occupied by OpenAI, a company Musk co-founded but later sued twice, claiming it had deviated from its original mission. Musk’s clear distaste for OpenAI was evident at the event, where he criticized the company for being profit-driven.
During the event, Musk addressed a crowd of mostly male attendees, expressing his lack of trust in OpenAI and its motives. The tension between xAI and OpenAI was palpable, with Musk making jabs at OpenAI’s president and holding the event on the same day as OpenAI’s Dev Day. Despite the rivalry, xAI has been successful in raising significant funds, with a $6 billion Series B funding round in May. Musk also mentioned plans to open source xAI’s models nine months after release, and encouraged young people interested in AI to consider working at xAI.
The event had a party atmosphere, with an open bar, DJ, and nerdy activities like chess matches available to attendees. Security was tight, with metal detectors and bag checks required for entry. Despite the high security measures, attendees were impressed by how close they could get to Musk, the world’s richest person. The event showcased some of xAI’s unreleased AI models, including an image generation model that produced a picture of a man in a strawberry costume.
Comparisons were drawn between OpenAI’s Dev Day and xAI’s open house, with attendees noting a difference in tone and presentation. While OpenAI’s event felt more polished and reminiscent of an Apple event, xAI’s open house had a more casual and laid-back atmosphere. Musk even commented on the post-event discussion, acknowledging that OpenAI didn’t start out as polished. Despite the rivalry and tension between the two companies, xAI is positioning itself as the new “good guy” in the world of AI, challenging the dominance of OpenAI in the field of generative AI.
