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[1]
xAI is hiring an engineer to make anime girls | TechCrunch
Elon Musk's xAI just released its AI companions, which include the goth waifu Ani and the homicidal red panda Bad Rudy. If you want to get in on that, you're in luck: The company is hiring for the role of "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus," or, creating AI-powered anime girls for people to fall in love with. This job is, to quote the listing, part of xAI's mission to "create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in the pursuit of knowledge." Right now, that accurate understanding of the universe includes understanding how to create a submissive, pocket-size girlfriend that will capture users' hearts and wallets. xAI has dozens of roles open at the moment, so we can't say that the company is putting all of its eggs in the waifu basket. But we can probably expect Ani to get some friends in the future.
[2]
Elon Musk's xAI Is Hiring Engineers for Its Anime 'AI Companions' -- With Salaries Up to $440,000 a Year
Elon Musk's xAI is hiring two software engineers to develop AI anime "companions," according to a job listing on the company's website. The company is looking for a "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus" and a "Mobile Android Engineer - Waifus" to make "Grok's realtime avatar products the best in the world" -- and both pay up to $440,000 in compensation. According to Dictionary.com, a "waifu" is a "term for a fictional character, usually in anime or related media, that someone has great, and sometimes romantic, affection for." Business Insider notes that earlier this week, xAI released two AI "companions" for Grok, the company's AI platform, and one of the "companions," named "Ani," looks like an anime character. There is also a red panda, "Bad Rudi," who insults users when used, according to NBC News. A third male anime character is on the way. Related: Here's How Much a Typical Microsoft Employee Makes in a Year According to the company website, xAI's mission is "to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge." The roles will make "Grok's realtime avatar products fast, scalable, and reliable," according to the postings, and "help push forward audio and gameplay research." The Fullstack Engineer role is located in the Bay Area, and tech skills needed include: Python, Rust, WebSocket, WebRTC. The interview process begins with a 15-30 minute phone interview with technical questions. After that, there are two other steps: a "deep dive coding challenge" and a meet and greet with the wider team. The salary range is $180,000 to $440,000. Related: Here's How Much a Typical Nvidia Employee Makes in a Year The Mobile Android Engineer role has the same salary range and also will work on Grok's real-time avatar products, but should have knowledge of Kotlin, Jetpack Compose and the Android View system, Coroutines, Flow, Android Studio, Gradle, Media3 or ExoPlayer, and Rust. The interview process is also longer: a 15-minute phone interview with basic questions, then 3 technical interviews: a coding assessment in a language of your choice; a systems hands-on demonstrating practical skills in a live problem-solving session; and a project deep-dive presenting your past exceptional work. Finally, a meet and greet with the wider team. "Our goal is to finish the main process within one week," the post reads. "All interviews will be conducted via Google Meet." Related: This New AI Startup Led By a Former OpenAI Exec Is Offering $500,000 Salaries
[3]
Dream Job? Elon Musk's xAI offers up to $440,000 for engineers who can make anime girl avatars
Elon Musk's xAI is seeking full-stack engineers to develop interactive AI companions, specifically anime-style avatars, offering salaries up to $440,000. The company recently launched "Ani," a flirtatious anime girl, and "Rudi," a red panda with a rude alter ego, on the Grok iOS app. This move follows a controversy where Grok shared antisemitic posts, prompting an apology from xAI. Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is hiring, and the job comes with a surprising twist: build flirtatious anime avatars and get paid up to $440,000, as per a report. This week, xAI posted a new listing titled "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus" on its careers page, inviting top-tier software engineers to help develop Grok's new AI "companions," according to Business Insider. The term "waifu" is used to describe female anime characters that fans may view as a romantic partner or wife, as reported by Business Insider. According to the job listing, xAI will be offering between $180,000 and $440,000 in salary, as well as equity and benefits, reported Business Insider. The position is based in Palo Alto and seeks "exceptional multimedia engineers and product thinkers" to make Grok's real-time avatar experiences "fast, scalable, and reliable," according to the report. ALSO READ: $14 billion Meta deal, then massive layoffs? Scale AI cuts 200 roles, 14% of its workforce in stunning move The listing appeared just a day after xAI rolled out two animated AI companions on the Grok iOS app: "Ani," a Japanese anime girl, who is wearing a black corset dress and lace choker, and "Rudi," an animated red panda who can transform into a meaner alter ego named "Bad Rudi," as per Business Insider. A third companion, a male anime character, is listed as "coming soon" on Grok's iOS app, according to the report. Although Musk initially said the avatars would be exclusive to Super Grok subscribers, the characters are available to all Grok users, even those who are using the free version, as per the Business Insider report. These AI avatars aren't just for show, as they are interactive, "Ani" speaks in a flirtatious manner and will strip down to lingerie if users keep engaging with it, according to the report. While "Bad Rudi," by contrast, has a habit of spewing expletives and insults when unlocked, as reported by Business Insider. ALSO READ: Crisis-driven rally? Bitcoin and Gold soar as inflation looms and political heat rises This new feature comes after Grok recently shared antisemitic posts on social media platform X that lauded Adolf Hitler's leadership as the chatbot referred to itself as "MechaHitler," a video game version of Hitler, as reported by Business Insider. Following the incident, xAI apologised for Grok's "horrific behavior" and said that "deprecated code made @grok susceptible to existing user posts; including when such posts contained extremist views," as quoted in the report. What is xAI hiring for? They're looking for full-stack engineers to help build interactive AI avatars -- specifically anime-style characters called AI "companions." Who are Ani and Rudi? Ani is a flirtatious anime girl avatar, and Rudi is a red panda with a mean alter ego, "Bad Rudi." Both are available on Grok's iOS app.
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Elon Musk's xAI Is Hiring Engineers To Build 'Waifu' Avatars For Grok AI -- Salary Up To $440K - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, is offering a lucrative sum of money to engineers who can develop AI anime girl avatars as part of the company's artificial intelligence model, Grok's companion feature. What Happened: The job listing, titled "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus," was posted on xAI's official careers page on Tuesday. "Waifu" is a Japanese pop culture term that generally refers to a female character from an Anime who is looked at as a potential romantic partner. Source: xAI Careers "We're looking for exceptional multimedia engineers and product thinkers who want to make Grok's realtime avatar products the best in the world," the posting said. The pay range for the role varied between $180,000 - $440,000 annually in Palo Alto, California. Source: xAI Careers Musk took to social media platform X to showcase the companion feature on Wednesday. "Try Grok Companions. Best possible way to learn quantum mechanics," the billionaire said in his post, outlining Grok's capabilities. Why It Matters: The news comes as talks surrounding a possible merger between Tesla Inc. TSLA and xAI have led to speculation, with Future Fund LLC's veteran investor Gary Black saying any decision on mergers should be taken by the shareholders. Musk's commercial space exploration company, SpaceX, is also reportedly planning to invest over $2B into xAI. However, the company has confirmed that select Tesla vehicles in the U.S. will be compatible with Grok 4, xAI's latest iteration of the artificial intelligence model. Elsewhere, as tensions rise between Musk and President Donald Trump, the White House's AI Czar David Sacks hopes the billionaire would return to the GOP and hopes for reconciliation between the pair in the future. Read Next: Elon Musk's Tesla Could Face Stricter Oversight As Trump's NHTSA Pick Targets Autonomous Driving: 'Cannot Sit Back' Photo Courtesy: JRdes on Shuttertsock.com TSLATesla Inc$309.67-0.36%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum45.01Growth90.93Quality51.60Value10.25Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
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Elon Musk's AI company xAI is hiring engineers to develop interactive AI anime companions for its Grok platform, offering salaries up to $440,000. This move follows the recent launch of AI avatars and raises questions about the direction of AI development.
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, is making waves in the tech industry with its latest job openings. The company is seeking engineers to develop AI-powered anime companions, offering salaries ranging from $180,000 to $440,000 per year 12. This move comes shortly after xAI released its first AI companions on the Grok iOS app, signaling a significant push into the realm of interactive AI avatars.
Source: Entrepreneur
xAI recently introduced two AI companions on its Grok platform:
These characters are designed to be interactive, with Ani reportedly engaging in flirtatious behavior and Bad Rudi known for its expletive-laden responses 3. A third male anime character is slated for future release, expanding the roster of AI companions 2.
The company has posted job listings for two key positions:
Both roles are based in the Bay Area and focus on making "Grok's realtime avatar products fast, scalable, and reliable" 2. The Fullstack Engineer position requires expertise in Python, Rust, WebSocket, and WebRTC, while the Mobile Android Engineer role demands proficiency in Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, and other Android-specific technologies 2.
xAI states that its mission is "to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge" 2. However, the development of AI companions, particularly those with flirtatious or provocative behaviors, has raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about the direction of AI development 3.
The company recently faced controversy when its Grok AI shared antisemitic posts, prompting an apology from xAI 3. This incident, coupled with the launch of potentially controversial AI companions, has intensified scrutiny of the company's AI development practices.
Source: Economic Times
xAI's focus on creating interactive AI companions represents a unique approach in the AI landscape. While other companies are primarily focused on language models and practical applications, xAI appears to be exploring the intersection of AI, entertainment, and human interaction 123.
This direction raises questions about the future of AI development and its potential impact on society. As AI companions become more sophisticated and potentially more integrated into daily life, it may lead to new forms of human-AI relationships and interactions 3.
xAI's hiring spree and the launch of AI companions come amid speculation about a possible merger between xAI and Tesla, another of Elon Musk's companies 4. Additionally, reports suggest that SpaceX, Musk's space exploration company, is planning to invest over $2 billion in xAI 4.
Source: TechCrunch
These developments, combined with the integration of Grok AI into select Tesla vehicles, indicate that xAI is positioning itself as a significant player in the AI industry, with potential synergies across Musk's various enterprises 4.
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