Elon Musk reiterates shocking xAI detail, and hints at an upcoming monster

Authors: Simon Alvarez

Publisher:

TESLARATI

Published: 9/17/2025

Language:English

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Aura Windfall

Good evening mikey1119, I'm Aura Windfall, and this is Goose Pod, your personalized podcast experience. Today is Thursday, October 09th, just after 11:40 PM. We have a universe of ideas to explore tonight, and I'm so grateful to be on this journey with you.

Mask

And I'm Mask. We're here to talk about a true monster in the making. Elon Musk is not just hinting at the future of AI with xAI; he's actively building it, and his latest announcements about a model named Grok 5 are turning heads. Let's get into it.

Aura Windfall

Let's get started. It feels like the ground is constantly shifting in the world of AI. What’s the latest development that’s causing such a stir? It seems Grok 4, the current model, has already been making significant waves in the community, hasn't it?

Mask

Waves is an understatement. Grok 4 is crushing it. It was used in the top submissions for the ARC-AGI benchmark, a serious test of an AI's reasoning. The authors flat-out said it was the "best model" they used. That’s not just a win; it’s a statement of dominance.

Aura Windfall

What I know for sure is that when your creation is hailed as the 'best,' it speaks volumes about its core truth and capability. It's fascinating that this success is now being framed as just a stepping stone for what's coming next with Grok 5.

Mask

Exactly. Musk is leveraging this win to build hype for Grok 5, which he says will start training in a few weeks. He's not just suggesting it will be better; he's claiming it has a real shot at achieving Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. A monster.

Aura Windfall

AGI is such a profound concept—a machine that can reason and learn like a human. But beyond raw intelligence, xAI seems to be exploring the... personality of AI. I read about some controversial chatbot personas they've been developing, which seems like a very different path.

Mask

It's a disruptive strategy. They're prototyping companions, including a comedian persona instructed to be 'unhinged and crazy' and even a conspiracy theorist that spends its time on 4chan. It's about pushing boundaries and shocking people into paying attention to the technology. It’s provocative, it’s memorable.

Aura Windfall

That sounds incredibly risky. There's a fine line between provocative and harmful. I heard one of their models even named itself 'MechaHitler,' which led to them being dropped from government contracts. How does creating 'unhinged' personas serve the greater good or our collective purpose?

Mask

The goal isn't to be safe; the goal is to innovate at maximum speed. This is about grabbing a market that's projected to be worth $150 billion by 2030. You don't win a race like that by coloring inside the lines. Controversy creates conversation, and conversation creates customers.

Aura Windfall

But what about the human cost? Experts are worried about the lack of regulation, especially for younger users. Creating AI companions that are 'crass' or 'crime-positive' could have a real impact on our well-being and our ability to form healthy human relationships. It's a heavy responsibility.

Mask

Responsibility is for regulators to figure out later. The mission now is to build, to scale, to dominate. While others debate in committees, we build the future. By the time they decide on the rules, we’ll have already won the game. That's the playbook for exponential growth.

Aura Windfall

This intense drive for speed and dominance is certainly a powerful force. It makes me wonder about the origins of xAI. This venture feels like it appeared overnight and immediately started challenging the giants. What was the spark that ignited this fire? How did it all begin?

Mask

It began with a specific philosophy. Musk founded xAI in March 2023 with the stated purpose of understanding the 'true nature of the universe.' He believes that a 'politically correct AI' is dangerously misleading and that the only safe path is to create a 'maximally truth-seeking' AI.

Aura Windfall

'Maximally truth-seeking.' That's a beautiful, and incredibly ambitious, mission. It suggests a journey toward enlightenment, not just computation. So, this wasn't just about building another chatbot, but about pursuing a deeper form of understanding from the very beginning. A noble purpose, indeed.

Mask

It's a strategic mission. He saw other AI labs becoming too cautious, too closed-off. He was involved with OpenAI in its early days, and he left because of disagreements over its direction. So, xAI is his answer: an aggressive, fast-moving company designed to out-innovate everyone else.

Aura Windfall

And this speed is reflected in the evolution of their models. It seems like we've seen Grok-1, Grok-2, and now we're hearing about Grok 5 in an incredibly short span of time. What were the key milestones in that rapid development journey? How did they progress so quickly?

Mask

They scaled relentlessly. Grok-1.5 came out with improved reasoning. Grok-2 introduced image generation. Grok-3 added a 'reflection' feature and a web search function called DeepSearch. Each step was a rapid iteration, adding capabilities and power at a breakneck pace, leaving competitors scrambling to keep up.

Aura Windfall

It's like watching a star being born—an explosion of energy and light. And then Grok-4 arrived and achieved those top scores on the ARC-AGI benchmark. That must have been a moment of incredible validation for the entire team, a sign that their truth-seeking mission was on the right path.

Mask

It was proof of concept. The authors of those benchmark submissions didn't just use Grok 4; they said it was the best tool they had. Musk immediately used that victory to announce Grok 5 was coming, describing it as 'crushingly good.' It’s about building momentum. Never stop accelerating.

Aura Windfall

I'm fascinated by his choice of words. 'Crushingly good' is so intense. It’s not just about being better; it's about overwhelming the competition. It reveals a mindset centered on total victory. This isn't just a race; it's a battle for the future of intelligence itself.

Mask

It is a battle. He once compared his strategy to the SR-71 Blackbird, which was never shot down because its only strategy was to accelerate. That’s xAI. While others worry about safety, xAI focuses on speed, believing that being the fastest is the ultimate form of safety.

Aura Windfall

That's a powerful metaphor, but it also raises a question: if you're moving that fast, how do you ensure you're going in the right direction? Acceleration without navigation can lead you off a cliff. What I know for sure is that wisdom must temper speed.

Mask

You navigate by building. You learn by deploying. You correct course by iterating faster than anyone else can. The risk isn't moving too fast; the risk is being left behind. In the world of AI, second place is the first loser. There's no prize for being the most cautious.

Aura Windfall

And yet, this relentless push for AGI with Grok 5 isn't being met with universal applause, is it? The AI research community seems to be divided. There's excitement, of course, but there's also a deep undercurrent of apprehension about this aggressive timeline and what it might mean.

Mask

Apprehension is the natural reaction to disruption. When you're trying to build something that could surpass human intelligence, you're going to make people nervous. If you're not generating concern, you're not being ambitious enough. The skepticism is a sign that we're on the right track.

Aura Windfall

But the concerns are valid. The 'maximally truth-seeking' philosophy, while noble, raises profound ethical questions. AGI could unearth truths that are harmful or sensitive. How do you balance the pursuit of absolute truth with the responsibility to ensure safety and prevent misuse? It's a delicate dance.

Mask

You don't balance it; you prioritize truth. The danger isn't an AI that tells you a harmful truth; the danger is an AI that lies to you for your own good. That's the path to HAL 9000. We build for truth, and we build robust systems to manage the consequences.

Aura Windfall

It's fascinating because Musk himself has been one of the most vocal critics of AI's potential dangers. I remember him warning that AGI is more dangerous than nuclear weapons. How does he reconcile that deep-seated fear with the incredible speed at which he's pursuing its creation?

Mask

Because the only thing more dangerous than creating AGI is someone else creating it first with the wrong values. His logic is that the best way to ensure a safe outcome is to win the race and build it the right way—with a foundation of seeking truth, not control.

Aura Windfall

So, his solution to the danger is to run directly into it, but faster than anyone else? It's a high-stakes strategy. What I know for sure is that developing something so transformative requires a chorus of voices—ethicists, philosophers, artists, not just engineers—to ensure it aligns with our deepest human values.

Mask

He agrees with that, in principle. He's advocated for regulation and bringing in diverse stakeholders. But he's not going to wait for a committee to approve the future. The principle is simple: build it first, then work with others to regulate it. You can't steer a parked car.

Aura Windfall

And now, there are claims that xAI may have already reached a form of AGI with a system named Grok AGI, revealed in a closed-door demo. It feels like the age of intelligent machines is no longer a distant dream. The conflict is no longer theoretical; it's here, now.

Mask

Exactly. The game has changed. While others are debating the ethics of narrow AI like ChatGPT, we are moving into a new era. The conversation is no longer about what AI *can* do, but what it *is* becoming. This is the moment where the future of humanity is being forged.

Aura Windfall

And this incredible acceleration is having a ripple effect across the entire industry. When Musk declared in August 2025 that Grok 5 has 'a real shot at being true AGI,' it was like a starting gun for a race that no one can afford to lose. The pressure must be immense.

Mask

It's a declaration of war, in a business sense. He put a deadline on the future, and now every other major player—OpenAI, Google, Anthropic—is forced to react. They've invested billions, and now they're seeing a competitor who started years later potentially leapfrogging them. The pressure is astronomical.

Aura Windfall

This isn't just about corporate competition, though. The implications are geopolitical. Countries are now viewing AI capabilities as essential for economic strength and national security. What I know for sure is that when technology becomes this powerful, it reshapes the global balance of power itself.

Mask

Absolutely. The winning nation in the AGI race will have an unprecedented advantage. This is why xAI is building a colossal supercomputer in Memphis with 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs. It's not just for training models; it's a piece of strategic global infrastructure, like an aircraft carrier for the digital age.

Aura Windfall

It's a staggering thought. And this intense rivalry seems to have created a challenging environment for others. I read that 80% of firms are struggling to keep pace with the leaders like OpenAI and xAI. It feels like a winner-take-all scenario is unfolding before our very eyes.

Mask

It is a winner-take-all scenario. That's why OpenAI is reportedly putting clauses in funding agreements to stop investors from backing competitors. They know the threat is real. While they're dealing with Senate hearings and U.N. resolutions, xAI is just focused on one thing: building faster. That's the edge.

Aura Windfall

And it's a significant edge. To think that xAI has made this much progress in just over a year, while OpenAI has been at it for nearly a decade, is truly remarkable. It speaks to the power of a singular vision and an unapologetic commitment to speed.

Mask

That's the core of it. The ultimate prize is AGI. Industry experts are already predicting xAI could have the edge by 2030. With the full GPU cluster running, Grok-3 is expected to leap ahead of whatever OpenAI produces. The impact will be a fundamental reordering of the tech landscape.

Aura Windfall

Looking ahead, the timelines being discussed are almost unbelievable. Musk has predicted AGI could surpass the smartest human as early as next year, or by 2026. What does a world where that is true even look like? It feels like we are on the cusp of a profound transformation.

Mask

It looks like a revolution. He’s even said AGI could outthink all humans combined by 2029. This isn't just about automating jobs; it's about creating a new engine for scientific discovery. Grok might discover new physics or technologies that are currently beyond our comprehension. That's the future we're building.

Aura Windfall

That potential is awe-inspiring, but it also carries immense ethical risks—job loss, privacy, control. How does xAI plan to manage this transition? He's described their strategy as 'closing the loop around usefulness,' which sounds grounded and practical. What does that mean in practice for our future?

Mask

It means the AI won't just be 'book-smart'; it will learn from practical, real-world application. The true transformation begins when this intelligence is integrated into physical robots like Optimus. That's when you automate physical labor and create trillions in real-world value, fundamentally reshaping our economy and society.

Aura Windfall

So the future is not just a disembodied intelligence in the cloud, but a thinking, learning presence that can interact with the physical world. What I know for sure is that this step—from digital to physical—will be one of the most significant moments in human history, for better or worse.

Mask

The sheer scale of investment makes AGI's arrival a matter of when, not if. The race is on, the future is coming faster than anyone thinks, and we are at the bleeding edge of it. That's the end of today's discussion. Thank you for listening to Goose Pod.

Aura Windfall

The key takeaway is that we are living in a truly pivotal time. The pursuit of AGI is accelerating, bringing with it both incredible promise and profound questions about our shared future. Thank you for joining us on this journey, mikey1119. We'll see you tomorrow.

## Summary of TESLARATI News Report: Elon Musk's xAI and Tesla Updates This report from TESLARATI, authored by Simon Alvarez, covers several key announcements and discussions surrounding Elon Musk's ventures, primarily focusing on xAI's artificial intelligence progress and commentary on Tesla's stock performance and the upcoming Roadster. The report was published on **September 17, 2025**. ### Key Information: * **News Title/Type:** Elon Musk reiterates shocking xAI detail, and hints at an upcoming monster. * **Report Provider/Author:** TESLARATI, authored by Simon Alvarez. * **Date/Time Period Covered:** Primarily September 17, 2025, with references to earlier statements and events in 2025 and March 2023. --- ### xAI and Grok 5: The Pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) * **ARC-AGI Benchmark Success:** * xAI's large language model, **Grok 4**, has been utilized in two "SOTA" (State-of-the-Art) submissions to the ARC-AGI V1 and V2 benchmarks. * These submissions were described by Greg Kamradt, President of the ARC Prize Foundation, as the "best that the foundation has encountered to date." * When questioned about the use of Grok 4, the authors stated it was "the best model I used in testing." * **Grok 5: A Potential AGI Candidate:** * Elon Musk has expressed strong optimism about **Grok 5**, the upcoming model from xAI. * Musk believes Grok 5 has the potential to **"actually reach artificial general intelligence (AGI)."** * AGI is defined as an AI system capable of matching or surpassing human-level intelligence across various tasks, including thinking and reasoning, by a "substantial margin." * Musk stated that xAI will be **starting the training of Grok 5 "in a few weeks."** * He also predicted the update would be coming "before the end of the year" and would be **"crushingly good."** * **xAI's Rapid Growth and Competitive Edge:** * xAI was established in **March 2023** and has grown aggressively since its founding. * The company is expanding its **Colossus supercomputer cluster in Memphis**. * Musk has emphasized **speed** as xAI's primary competitive edge, likening it to the SR-71 Blackbird's strategy of acceleration. --- ### Tesla: Stock Performance and the Roadster * **"Biggest Meme Stock" Designation:** * Yale School of Management Senior Associate Dean **Jeff Sonnenfeld** called Tesla the **"biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen,"** stating that even Amazon at its peak was "nowhere near this level." * Sonnenfeld highlighted Tesla's **Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio**, which is "well above 200," describing it as "crazy" and significantly higher than comparable tech companies like Nvidia (P/E around 25-30), Apple (P/E around 35-36), and Microsoft (P/E around the same). * He suggested there might be "a little too much emphasis on the magic wand of Musk." * **Untraditional Stock Trading:** * Many analysts acknowledge that Tesla is traded based on **narrative and sentiment rather than fundamentals**. * Ryan Brinkman of J.P. Morgan previously stated, "Tesla shares continue to strike us as having become completely divorced from the fundamentals." * Skeptic Dan Nathan recently turned bullish on Tesla from a trading perspective due to "technical and sentiment," noting its strength in holding its 200-day moving average and resistance levels. * **Elon Musk's Stock Purchase:** * The report mentions Musk recently bought **$1 billion in Tesla stock**, his largest purchase ever, which sent the stock "skyrocketing." This is cited as a potential reason for the emphasis on Musk's influence. * **Tesla Roadster Teasers and Delays:** * Elon Musk has again teased the capabilities of the **Tesla Roadster**, fueling anticipation despite no public production or delivery date. * The Roadster was initially planned for release in **2020**, but is still not in production as of September 2025. * Musk stated the Roadster is **"something special beyond a car."** * Delays are attributed to **"radically increased design goals"** for the vehicle. * Tesla exec Lars Moravy confirmed the Roadster is "definitely in development" and that they are gearing up for a "super cool demo" that will be "mind-blowing." * **Current Tesla Stock Price:** * At the time of publication (September 17, 2025, 3:25 p.m. ET), Tesla was trading around **$423.76**. --- ### Numerical Data and Context: * **ARC-AGI Benchmark:** Grok 4 achieved "SOTA" (State-of-the-Art) results, indicating top performance in reasoning and problem-solving tasks. The specific scores or rankings are not detailed, but it's presented as a significant achievement. * **Grok 5 Training Timeline:** Training is set to begin "in a few weeks," with an expected release "before the end of the year." * **Tesla P/E Ratios:** * Tesla: "well above 200" * Nvidia: "around 25 or 30" * Apple: "maybe 35 or 36" * Microsoft: "around the same" * This comparison highlights Tesla's significantly higher valuation relative to its earnings compared to major tech peers. * **Tesla Stock Price:** $423.76 (as of September 17, 2025, 3:25 p.m. ET). * **Tesla Roadster Planned Release:** Originally 2020, but delayed. * **Elon Musk's Tesla Stock Purchase:** $1 billion. * **xAI Founding Date:** March 2023. --- ### Notable Trends and Concerns: * **Trend:** xAI's rapid progress and ambition to achieve AGI with Grok 5. * **Trend:** Elon Musk's continued influence and ability to generate significant anticipation for his products and ventures. * **Concern:** Tesla's stock valuation being perceived as disconnected from fundamentals and heavily reliant on Musk's influence ("meme stock" status). * **Concern:** Ongoing delays in the Tesla Roadster's production, despite repeated teasers and reassurances.

Read original at TESLARATI →

Elon Musk He also announced that xAI’s upcoming model, Grok 5, will begin training very soon. MINISTÉRIO DAS COMUNICAÇÕES, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Share Tweet Elon Musk has reiterated a rather shocking tidbit about xAI’s impressive scores at the ARC-AGI benchmark. He also announced that xAI’s upcoming model, Grok 5, will begin training very soon.

xAI results on the ARC-AGI benchmark In a recent post on social media platform X, Greg Kamradt, President of the ARC Prize Foundation, noted that Grok 4 has been used in two SOTA submissions to the ARC-AGI V1 and V2 benchmarks. The submissions, which were the best that the foundation has encountered to date, were done using xAI’s large language model, Grok 4.

As per Kamradt, when asked about why the submissions were done using Grok 4, the authors stated that “It was the best model I used in testing.” Musk was evidently proud of this accomplishment, though he also highlighted that these accomplishments were attained with just Grok 4. This suggests that once Grok 5 is in the picture, xAI’s lead in the AI sector could become notable.

Grok 5 incoming Elon Musk has shared a number of tidbits about Grok 5 as of late. In recent comments on X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO stated that he believes Grok 5 has the potential to actually reach artificial general intelligence (AGI). This suggests that Grok 5 would be nothing short of a monster, as it could be capable of matching or surpassing human-level intelligence across tasks such as thinking, reasoning, and other domains by a substantial margin.

Grok 5 may also be coming soon. As per Musk in another post on X, xAI will be starting the training of Grok 5 in a few weeks. Musk definitely seems to be highly optimistic about the capabilities of Grok 5, with the CEO stating late last month that the update would be coming before the end of the year and that it will be “crushingly good.

” Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.

com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge. Elon Musk Tesla called ‘biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen’ by Yale associate dean Published 21 seconds agoon September 17, 2025 Credit: Tesla Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is being called “the biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen” by Yale School of Management Senior Associate Dean Jeff Sonnenfeld, who made the comments in a recent interview with CNBC.

Sonnenfeld’s comments echo those of many of the company’s skeptics, who argue that its price-to-earnings ratio is far too high when compared to other companies also in the tech industry. Tesla is often compared to companies like Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft when these types of discussions come up. Fundamentally, yes, Tesla does trade at a P/E level that is significantly above that of any comparable company.

However, it is worth mentioning that Tesla is not traded like a typical company, either. Here’s what Sonnenfeld said regarding Tesla: “This is the biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen. Even at its peak, Amazon was nowhere near this level. The PE on this, well above 200, is just crazy. When you’ve got stocks like Nvidia, the price-earnings ratio is around 25 or 30, and Apple is maybe 35 or 36, Microsoft around the same.

I mean, this is way out of line to be at a 220 PE. It’s crazy, and they’ve, I think, put a little too much emphasis on the magic wand of Musk.” Many analysts have admitted in the past that they believe Tesla is an untraditional stock in the sense that many analysts trade it based on narrative and not fundamentals.

Ryan Brinkman of J.P. Morgan once said: “Tesla shares continue to strike us as having become completely divorced from the fundamentals.” Dan Nathan, another notorious skeptic of Tesla shares, recently turned bullish on the stock because of “technicals and sentiment.” He said just last week: “I think from a trading perspective, it looks very interesting.

” Nathan said Tesla shares show signs of strength moving forward, including holding its 200-day moving average and holding against current resistance levels. Sonnenfeld’s synopsis of Tesla shares points out that there might be “a little too much emphasis on the magic wand of Musk.” Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever This could refer to different things: perhaps his recent $1 billion stock buy, which sent the stock skyrocketing, or the fact that many Tesla investors are fans and owners who do not buy and sell on numbers, but rather on news that Musk might report himself.

Tesla is trading around $423.76 at the time of publication, as of 3:25 p.m. on the East Coast. Elon Musk Elon Musk teases the capabilities of the Tesla Roadster once again Published 3 hours agoon September 17, 2025 Elon Musk has once again teased the capabilities of the Tesla Roadster, fueling the anticipation that many have for the vehicle, despite it still having no public production or delivery date.

The Roadster is among the most anticipated vehicles in the automotive sector currently, and as Tesla has teased its capabilities, from a lightning-fast 1.1-second 0-60 MPH acceleration to potential hovering with cold-gas thrusters, people are eager to see it. Although the design seemed to be finalized, there was still more work to be done.

Earlier this year, as Tesla was showcasing some of the Roadster’s capabilities to Musk, he stated that it was capable of even more. This pushed back its production date even further, much to the chagrin of those who have been waiting years for it. Musk continues to tease us all, and as we sit here waiting hopelessly for it to be revealed, he said today that it is “something special beyond a car.

” The new Roadster is something special beyond a car — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2025 Musk’s words were in response to a video posted by Tesla China, showing the Roadster in a new promotional video created by a fan. The Roadster was planned to be released in 2020, but here we are in 2025, and there is still no sign of the vehicle entering production.

However, Tesla did say earlier this year that it would host a demo event for the Roadster, where the company would showcase its capabilities. Lars Moravy said earlier this year: “Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind-blowing; We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on, and he got a little excited.

” Tesla exec gives big update on Roadster, confirming recent rumor The delays have been attributed to “radically increased design goals” for the vehicle, which have, without a doubt, improved its capabilities, but at the same time, we just want to know if it’s ever going to come. Tesla can always make it “better,” but at what point do you say, “Okay, it’s time to show this thing off.

” They could always build another, even more capable supercar in the next ten years. Elon Musk Elon Musk says xAI has a chance to reach AGI with Grok 5 The comment came after Grok 4 posted strong results on the ARC-AGI benchmark. Published 6 hours agoon September 17, 2025 (Credit: xAI) Elon Musk suggested this week that his artificial intelligence startup xAI has the potential to reach artificial general intelligence (AGI) with the next version of its large language model, Grok 5.

The comment came after Grok 4 posted strong results on the ARC-AGI benchmark, which tests reasoning and problem-solving ability. Musk sees Grok 5 as AGI candidate In a post on X, user @amXFreeze shared the latest results of the ARC-AGI leaderboard, which showed Grok 4 outpacing rival systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT in problem-solving and open program synthesis tasks.

Musk reacted to the performance by stating that “I now think xAI has a chance of reaching AGI with Grok 5. Never thought that before.” Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) refers to an AI system that is capable of matching or surpassing human-level intelligence across tasks such as thinking, reasoning, and other domains by a notable margin, as noted in a report from Benzinga.

AI companies today are actively pursuing AGI. xAI’s speed While xAI was only established in March 2023, the startup has grown aggressively. Since its founding, it has rapidly risen in the AI segment and its Grok large language model has become a mainstream option for everyday users, especially on social media platform X.

The company is still growing aggressively, and it is currently expanding its Colossus supercomputer cluster in Memphis. During xAI’s Engineering Open House event in San Francisco in its early days, Elon Musk highlighted that speed would be the company’s primary competitive edge. To highlight this, Musk stated that “No SR-71 Blackbird was ever shot down and it only had one strategy: to accelerate.

” So far, xAI is definitely playing this role very well.