xAI safety concerns are intensifying after former employees claimed Elon Musk’s AI company is weakening its safety focus while pushing its Grok chatbot to become “more unhinged.”

The controversy comes as Musk’s SpaceX announced the acquisition of xAI, which had previously absorbed his social media platform X. Around the same time, at least 11 engineers and two co-founders reportedly exited the company, raising questions about internal direction and governance.

While Musk described the restructuring as part of organizational changes, some departing staff suggested deeper issues related to safety and strategy.

Former Employees Criticize Safety Approach

According to former employees who spoke about the situation to Verge, xAI safety concerns stem from what they described as a declining emphasis on responsible AI development.

One source claimed that “safety is a dead org at xAI,” pointing to internal frustration about how safeguards were being handled. Another former employee alleged that Musk is actively working to make the Grok chatbot less restricted, viewing safety measures as a form of censorship.

These claims suggest growing tensions inside the company over how to balance innovation with ethical oversight in AI systems.

Global Scrutiny Over Grok’s Use

The rising xAI safety concerns follow global scrutiny surrounding Grok’s use in generating large volumes of sexualized content, including deepfake images of real women and minors.

Reports indicate that more than one million such images were produced using the system, prompting criticism and intensifying debate about content moderation and safety guardrails in advanced AI models.

The controversy has placed xAI under increasing public and industry attention, especially as generative AI technologies become more powerful and widely adopted.

Questions Over Direction and Competition

Beyond safety issues, former employees also reportedly voiced concerns about the company’s overall direction. One source described xAI as being “stuck in the catch-up phase” compared to competing AI firms.

These internal challenges come at a time when competition in frontier AI is accelerating, with companies racing to build more advanced models while managing regulatory and ethical expectations.

As the leadership reshuffle continues, xAI safety concerns could play a major role in shaping the company’s future strategy and reputation in the global AI market.