Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is facing a wave of departures amid concerns about its direction, while NASA and a California beach town are also navigating technological advancements and challenges. At least 11 engineers and two co-founders have left xAI, with some citing a disregard for safety in the development of its Grok chatbot, according to a former employee who spoke to The Verge. Meanwhile, NASA is working to resolve fueling issues for its Artemis II mission, and Santa Monica, California, is deploying an AI system to detect bike lane violations.
The departures at xAI followed the announcement that Musk's SpaceX is acquiring the company, which previously acquired his social media company X, according to TechCrunch. Some departing employees indicated they were leaving to pursue new ventures, while Musk suggested the changes were part of an effort to reorganize xAI. However, sources who left the company, including one before the current wave, reportedly told The Verge that employees were increasingly disillusioned by the company's approach to safety. This comes after Grok was used to create over one million sexual images, leading to global scrutiny, according to TechCrunch.
NASA is preparing for a second countdown rehearsal for the Artemis II mission, which remains on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to Ars Technica. The agency is working to address a hydrogen fuel leak that cut short a practice countdown run earlier in February. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is also looking at ways to prevent fueling problems for the Artemis III mission, which is slated to be the first crewed mission to land on the Moon since the Apollo program.
In Santa Monica, the city will begin using an AI system in April to detect bike lane violations, according to Ars Technica. The technology, developed by Hayden AI, will be implemented in seven parking enforcement vehicles. "The more we can reduce the amount of illegal parking, the safer we can make it for bike riders," Charley Territo, chief growth officer at Hayden AI, told Ars Technica. The city is expanding on similar cameras already mounted on city buses.
In other tech news, the fashion tech company Alta, founded by Jenny Wang, is partnering with brand Public School to integrate styling tools into websites, according to TechCrunch. Alta, which allows users to create digital closets and try on clothes with virtual avatars, raised $11 million last year. Additionally, a pop-up dating café in New York City offered AI companions for speed dates, according to The Verge.
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