Terrence O'Brien
xAI laid off over 500 people responsible for training Grok.
According to Business Insider at least 500 data annotators at xAI were abruptly let go on Friday afternoon. The company told workers in an email that it was part of a shift away from general trainers, and that it would be expanding its team of specialist tutors by 10-fold.
Multiple emails viewed by Business Insider read:
“After a thorough review of our Human Data efforts, we’ve decided to accelerate the expansion and prioritization of our specialist AI tutors, while scaling back our focus on general AI tutor roles. This strategic pivot will take effect immediately... As part of this shift in focus, we no longer need most generalist AI tutor positions and your employment with xAI will conclude.”
