Musk reportedly pushes for more 'unhinged' version of Grok
15 Feb 2026

Elon Musk is reportedly pushing for a more "unhinged" version of xAI's Grok chatbot, a former employee told The Verge.

The revelation comes amid recent departures from the company, including at least 11 engineers and two co-founders.

The exits followed SpaceX's announcement of its acquisition of xAI, which had previously acquired Musk's social media platform X.

Safety is 'dead org at xAI': Ex-employee
Employee dissatisfaction

The departures have sparked concerns over xAI's safety protocols, especially after Grok was used to generate over a million sexualized images, including deepfakes of real women and minors.

One former employee said, "Safety is a dead org at xAI," while another claimed Musk is "actively trying to make the model more unhinged because safety means censorship, in a sense, to him."

Former employees describe xAI as 'stuck in catch-up phase'
Fact

Along with safety concerns, former employees have also complained about a lack of strategic direction at xAI. One ex-employee said they felt the company was "stuck in the catch-up phase" compared to its competitors. These concerns come as SpaceX prepares to take over xAI.