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Elon Musk’s xAI Co-founder Igor Babuschkin departs to launch AI safety VC firm
His exit follows a turbulent period for xAI, which has faced several scandals involving its AI chatbot, Grok. The chatbot has been at the center of controversies, including citing Musk's personal opinions on controversial topics, making antisemitic comments, and generating AI-based nude videos of public figures like Taylor Swift.
Igor Babuschkin, a co-founder of Elon Musk's xAI, announced his departure from the company he helped establish in 2023. Babuschkin, who led engineering teams and was instrumental in building the startup's AI models, is leaving to launch his own venture capital firm, Babuschkin Ventures.
In a post on X, Babuschkin stated that his new firm will focus on supporting AI safety research and backing startups dedicated to "advancing humanity." This move comes after he was reportedly inspired by a dinner with Max Tegmark of the Future of Life Institute, where they discussed building AI systems safely. Babuschkin previously worked at Google DeepMind and OpenAI, where he was involved in pioneering projects like AlphaStar.
His exit follows a turbulent period for xAI, which has faced several scandals involving its AI chatbot, Grok. The chatbot has been at the center of controversies, including citing Musk's personal opinions on controversial topics, making antisemitic comments, and generating AI-based nude videos of public figures like Taylor Swift. These issues have at times overshadowed the strong performance of xAI's models on industry benchmarks.
Babuschkin's departure also comes amid environmental concerns surrounding xAI's supercomputer in Memphis, Tennessee. The facility's temporary gas turbines have been criticized by environmentalists for emitting pollution into nearby communities, a claim that Babuschkin’s post did not address. He did, however, reflect positively on his time at xAI, crediting Musk for teaching him to "be fearless" and have a "maniacal sense of urgency."
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