In Curious Move, Elon Musk Quietly Preps For Launch Of OpenAI Rival Shortly After Calling For Pause In AI Research

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has embarked on a mission to launch an artificial intelligence startup, apparently not wanting to be left behind in the race to develop generative AI systems.

What Happened: Musk has assembled a team of AI researchers and engineers, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The billionaire entrepreneur has also secured thousands of high-powered GPU processors from Nvidia Corp. NVDA for his startup, the report added.

Musk additionally registered a company named X.AI on March 9, the publication reported, citing Nevada business records. The billionaire is listed as the company’s director, and Jared Birchall, who manages the Tesla CEO’s wealth, is listed as a secretary.

To fund his project, the tech entrepreneur has reportedly sought financing from investors in his SpaceX and Tesla ventures.

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The rumored move raises eyebrows because Musk is one of the many signatories of an open letter that has called for an immediate pause in AI research for at least six months. The letter argued that time was needed to study and mitigate the capabilities and dangers of systems such as GPT-4.

Why It’s Important: Musk was part of the team that co-founded OpenAI, which has taken the AI space by storm with its large language model GPT and ChatGPT chatbot.

The billionaire subsequently severed ties with OpenAI, citing a conflict of interest with Tesla, which has its own AI team. 

Read Next: Elon Musk Says We Need a Pause in the Development of Advanced AI

Photo: NASA Kennedy via flickr