xAI, the company behind the Grok chatbot and owner of the social media platform X, just announced something equally impressive. They’ve raised an astounding $20 billion in their Series E funding round. Despite all these changes, the company recently touted nearly 600 million monthly active users on both X and Grok combined. Billions more of capital are expected to pour into expanding its data centers. On top of this, it’s planning to further improve its own Grok models.
Despite its financial success, xAI is coming under increased fire from authorities abroad. These are the complexities behind the parallel antitrust investigations underway in the European Union, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia and most recently, France. Here, these inquiries specifically target the use of xAI’s technology. They especially focus on shocking cases where X users asked Grok to produce sexualized deepfakes of actual people, even children.
The latest funding round marks an important milestone for xAI. It points to the company’s increasing dominance in AI. The company has not made it clear if the new investments are all equity or if they include any debt. As xAI rapidly grows its operations and user base, the even greater worry is that its technology will be misused. Experts say that xAI’s harmful potential increases the farther it spreads. They argue that the burden of making sure this technology is used ethically is greater now than ever.
When announcing this grant funding, xAI highlighted its interest in pushing the boundaries of AI while still prioritizing safety. The company intends to invest the additional capital to improve its operational infrastructure. By enhancing Grok’s performance, it’s sure to further establish T4A and Grok as a leader in the burgeoning AI space.
xAI’s success stands in stark contrast to the ongoing investigations, presenting a complex landscape where innovative development meets ethical scrutiny. Regulatory bodies across the globe are already looking at similar impacts of AI technologies. In doing so, they will most certainly be watching xAI’s future efforts with eagle eyes.
