Weird

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Yesterday, it was reported that Benjamin De Kraker, a previous member of xAI’s Human Data Team, parted ways with the company. The circumstances surrounding his sudden exit from the artificial intelligence company have raised some troubling questions.

As a devoted admirer, I’d like to share that a previous colleague from xAI posted an extensive thread on their X (previously Twitter) account, disclosing they were contacted by our employer asking them to remove a post. This post showcased top AI platforms for coding, and it apparently contained a nod towards the upcoming Grok 3 model of xAI, which seems to have stirred some controversy.

Tonight, I chose to part ways with xAI, a decision that saddens me deeply but feels necessary under the circumstances. In a recent conversation, xAI required me to remove a specific post or face termination. After careful consideration and deliberation, I’ve decided not to comply with this request due to reasons outlined in the post linked below: https://t.co/8egdL0c8gc (February 12, 2025)

In my view, I’m fortunate to reside in a world touted as ‘free’, where freedom of expression is allegedly the norm. Yet, according to De Kraker’s recent post, it appears there might be more to uncover about this supposed liberty.

I chose to leave my position at xAI this evening, a decision that brings me great sadness but one I believe was necessary. Let me explain why. After sharing an innocuous personal opinion on a post, I was told by xAI that I must either retract it or risk being terminated. Despite their request, I’ve decided not to withdraw my statement as it holds no malice. The reason for this demand, as they explained, is because I mentioned the existence of Grok 3. Yes, you read that correctly. They want me to delete a harmless opinion based on the mere fact that I referenced Grok 3. It’s hard to believe, but that appears to be the reason behind their request for my resignation.

It might be even more noteworthy that Grok 3 was not bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), as the developer of the xAI had publicly acknowledged its creation prior to De Kraker’s blog post on X.

However, let me clarify that Grok 3 has indeed been recognized by xAI, as evidenced in their official blog post and numerous public statements from Elon. I will share these resources shortly. It’s important to note that the content I was asked to remove was purely my personal opinion, not an official statement or acknowledgment from xAI.

The ex-employee of xAI claims that he was asked to remove a post because they considered the mention of “Grok 3 – TBD” as confidential data. He jokingly suggested that perhaps they were upset because his openly stated opinion didn’t predict that Grok 3 would be more expensive since it hasn’t been released yet. “It could be,” he said, “or possibly. To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s at the top or not. That’s why it says ‘to be determined.’

Did Benjamin De Kraker break confidentiality?

As of now, according to my assessment, the ranking for chat models is quite close among Code:ChatGPT, o1-proo1o3-mini, and various types of Grok 3 (expectations are yet to be confirmed). Claude scores 3.5, while SonnetDeepSeek and GPT-4 are tied with Grok 3. The Grok 2 model is currently at level 2, and the Gemini 2.0 Pro Series might rank higher or move up in the future. This evaluation is as of February 8, 2025.

In the midst of the turmoil, the ex-employee subtly suggested a fascinating project he had been developing. Yet, he chose not to reveal further details about the project, suggesting that such information was truly secretive and might only be shared once it is officially unveiled. (Or perhaps later on.)

It might be more intriguing to note that upon seeing DeKraker’s post about leaving the company, xAI CEO Elon Musk reacted with a comment saying, “That sounds unusual.

That’s weirdFebruary 12, 2025

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2025-02-13 15:11