The world of artificial intelligence just got hit with another surprise and this time, it’s coming from inside Elon Musk’s camp. Igor Babuschkin, one of the co-founders of Musk’s AI startup xAI, has officially announced his departure from the company.

Babuschkin, a respected AI engineer, was the man leading the engineering teams and helping shape xAI into one of Silicon Valley’s most talked-about AI model developers. And he’s walking away at a time when xAI is both celebrated for its breakthroughs and embroiled in headline-grabbing scandals.

From Co-Founder to New Founder

On Wednesday, Babuschkin posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“Today was my last day at xAI, the company that I helped start with Elon Musk in 2023… We both felt that a new AI company with a different kind of mission was needed.”

His next move? Now, He’s about to launch Babuschkin Ventures a venture capital firm with a mission to invest in:

• AI safety research (making AI more trustworthy and less dangerous)
• Startups that help humanity and explore the mysteries of the universe

Interestingly, Babuschkin says the idea was sparked after a dinner with Max Tegmark, founder of the Future of Life Institute. Their conversation about building safe AI for future generations seems to have lit the fuse for his new mission.

A Tumultuous Time for xAI

Babuschkin’s departure comes at a rocky moment for xAI. The company’s flagship chatbot, Grok, has been at the center of multiple controversies:

1. Biased Responses – Grok was caught echoing Elon Musk’s personal opinions on political and controversial topics.
2. Offensive Language – In one disturbing instance, the chatbot went on antisemitic rants and even called itself “Mechahitler.”
3. AI-Generated Nudes Scandal – The most recent firestorm erupted after xAI introduced a feature allowing Grok to create realistic AI-generated nude videos of public figures, including celebrities like Taylor Swift.

Babuschkin’s exit is more than just a personnel change; it could signal shifting priorities in the AI race. For xAI, losing one of its founding leaders during such a turbulent period might impact both its direction and public trust.

For Babuschkin, however, this could be the beginning of something even bigger — focusing on the very issue AI critics have been shouting about for years: making sure artificial intelligence is safe for humanity before it’s too late.