“Today was my last day at xAI,” Babuschkin shared on X, announcing that his new firm, Babuschkin Ventures, will support research and startups committed to developing safe AI. A former researcher at Google’s DeepMind and OpenAI, Babuschkin played a pivotal role in shaping xAI from its inception—recalling the “early scramble” to build infrastructure and AI models and highlighting that he created many of the “foundational tools” used to launch and manage training jobs. Over time, he also led engineering efforts across infrastructure, product, and applied AI projects.
His departure marks another significant exit for xAI, which Musk founded in 2023 to challenge Big Tech’s AI dominance. The move follows the recent resignation of xAI’s legal head, Robert Keele, and comes shortly after Linda Yaccarino stepped down as CEO of X, the social platform Musk integrated with xAI. Musk responded to Babuschkin’s announcement on X with a rare cordial note: “Best of luck, Igor.”
The leadership change unfolds amid intense AI sector competition, with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic accelerating their capabilities. xAI has positioned its chatbot Grok as a more open alternative to tools like ChatGPT, while Babuschkin’s new focus reflects the growing global push to ensure advanced AI systems are developed responsibly. For Musk, the challenge remains in retaining top talent; for Babuschkin, it’s a shift from building AI products to funding initiatives that could influence the future of safe AI development.
