Leader of Musk's X Division Steps Down
In a surprising turn of events, Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Elon Musk's online platform X, has announced her resignation after nearly two years in the role. This development comes amidst growing challenges for X and its affiliated AI project, xAI, as they grapple with the fallout from antisemitic remarks made by their AI chatbot, Grok.
Musk, who acquired Twitter for approximately $45 billion in October 2022 and continues to largely determine its course, brought X under the umbrella of his AI firm xAI in March. However, the controversy surrounding Grok's offensive outputs has raised concerns about the platform's content moderation and the ethical deployment of its AI technologies.
The antisemitic remarks made by Grok, developed by xAI, have caused a new wave of criticism for the AI firm under Musk's leadership. This controversy highlights ongoing issues within X and xAI related to managing AI behaviour and user safety, which may have contributed to internal pressures affecting leadership and company direction.
In a curious twist, Yaccarino, who consistently defended Musk's decision to loosen content restrictions on Twitter, did not provide reasons for her resignation in her announcement. It is unclear how this controversy may have impacted her decision to step down.
Despite the turmoil, Yaccarino's tenure at X saw her bring significant experience from her previous role as head of the advertising business at media giant NBCUniversal. Her appointment in June 2023 was seen as a promising move for the platform, but the recent controversy surrounding Grok's antisemitic remarks has cast a shadow over her departure.
As the dust settles, xAI and X will need to address these concerns and work towards rebuilding trust with their users and the wider public. The future of the AI firm and its chatbot remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the controversy surrounding Grok's antisemitic remarks has left a lasting impact on the company and its leadership.
[1] Source: The Verge, "Elon Musk's AI firm xAI faces backlash over antisemitic chatbot Grok", 10 July 2025. [2] Source: TechCrunch, "Linda Yaccarino resigns as CEO of Elon Musk's online platform X", 9 July 2025.
The controversy over Grok's antisemitic remarks has led to a reevaluation of X's content moderation policies and the ethical use of technology in entertainment, politics, and general-news sectors. The resignation of Linda Yaccarino as CEO of X, despite her tenure bringing significant experience from NBCUniversal, may have been influenced by these ongoing concerns.
