
How xAI Is Running on Former Google (GOOGL) Employees
Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Now at xAI, they're helping build Grok 4, which Musk says outperforms similar AI models from OpenAI, Meta (META), and Google. This movement of talent shows just how frequently researchers are switching between top AI firms. Although some xAI employees have left for OpenAI, including co-founder Kyle Kosic and infrastructure engineering head Uday Rudarraju, there hasn't been a noticeable wave of defections to Google, Microsoft (MSFT), or Meta. A likely reason is that xAI is still a young company, and many employees' stock options haven't fully vested yet.
xAI is also known for its intense work pace, with some teams reportedly working all seven days of the week. While that might drain some employees, others are said to be motivated by the company's mission and are eager to contribute. Nevertheless, the company has been facing some integration issues after merging with social media platform X in March. In fact, the two companies still operate somewhat separately, with different internal systems and even separate Slack accounts. As a result of these limitations, some employees have resorted to using Signal group chats instead to coordinate their work.
What Is the Prediction for Tesla Stock?
When it comes to Elon Musk's companies, most of them are privately held. However, retail investors can invest in his most popular company, Tesla (TSLA). Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 14 Buys, 15 Holds, and eight Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $307.23 per share implies 6.5% downside risk.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Digital Trends
8 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Blindsided by brutal AI chess bots? This one thinks like a human
For years, the game of chess has been seen as a litmus test for how far AI can go against the human intellect. When IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer beat reigning Chess world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, it was deemed a pivotal moment. The Wall Street Journal called it 'one giant leap backward for mankind.' It hasn't been a total route for humanity, however. Just a month ago, Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen beat ChatGPT in a chess game without losing a single piece. Interestingly, the AI bots are fighting, too. Earlier this month, ChatGPT (backed by OpenAI's GPT-o3 reasoning model) beat Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk-led xAI, in a chess tournament. Recommended Videos But how does an average chess-loving person fare against AI bots at chess? Well, it's frustrating. One of the most recurring themes you will see on chess forums is that bots play 'differently from humans.' Of course, when you're playing against a chess computing bot like Stockfish 16 that can assess over ten million positions per second, not many players stand a chance. On the other hand, some seasoned players say beating chess bots is easier because they follow a pattern, and that one must know how to survive the initial assault to beat them. But at the end of the day, AI bots don't play by conventions. A researcher at Carnegie Mellon University has now come up with a less alien solution – an AI chess bot that plays like a human. Say hello to Allie The bot named Allie is the brainchild of Yiming Zhang, a PhD candidate at the Language Technologies Institute (LTI) in CMU's School of Computer Science. Interestingly, Zhang found himself eager to play chess after watching Netflix's popular series, 'The Queen's Gambit.' But soon after dipping into the world of online chess, he found himself frustrated by chess bots. After playing against them, he realized that these bots play unnaturally. Moreover, the underlying tactics behind a chess engine often make it nearly impossible to beat them, thanks to their training, which involves winning at all costs by doing increasingly complex calculations. That's where Allie differs from your average chess-acing bot. It has been trained on 91 million transcripts of chess games played between humans. As a result, the way it contemplates moves, makes attacking advances, and defends positions feels like an average human player. 'Allie is trained on log sequences of real chess games to model the behaviors of human chess players across the skill spectrum, including non-move behaviors such as pondering times and resignations,' says the research paper. During evaluations, researchers found that Allie actually 'ponders' at critical situations in the game. Go ahead and test your mettle The fact that Allie has been trained to think like a human doesn't mean it's a weak player. Far from it, actually. It can hold its fort against everyone from amateurs to grandmasters. 'Against grandmaster-level (2500 Elo) opponents, Allie with adaptive search exhibits the strength of a fellow grandmaster, all while learning exclusively from humans.' Since being deployed publicly, it has amassed more than 11,500 online chess games on the online platform Lichess, where you can also try your skills against it. So far, it has over 6,500 victories against human players, lost just over 4,000 games, and more than 500 battles have ended in a draw. 'For beginners, it's not interesting or instructive to play against chess bots because the moves they make are often bizarre and incomprehensible to humans,' Zhang explains. Interestingly, Allie is completely free and open-source, which means other researchers can build atop it. Do keep in mind it's only accepting invites for Blitz games. Moreover, if you want to learn how the human-like AI chess bot makes its moves before going against Allie, you can watch it in action versus other human players at Lichess. And if you want to take a peek at the code, head over to the GitHub repository.


TechCrunch
8 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Judge says FTC investigation into Media Matters ‘should alarm all Americans'
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the Federal Trade Commission's investigation into left-leaning advocacy group Media Matters. Back in 2023, Media Matters published research showing ads from major companies had appeared alongside antisemitic and other offensive content on Elon Musk-owned X. When major advertisers subsequently pulled back from the platform, X sued Media Matters. It also sued advertisers and advertiser groups over what it claimed was a 'systematic illegal boycott.' After Musk's then-ally Donald Trump took office again in January, the FTC also began an investigation into whether Media Matters had illegally colluded with advertisers. On Friday, however, Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with Media Matters and blocked the FTC's investigation. In her decision, Sooknanan (a district court judge for the District of Columbia appointed by Joe Biden) wrote that the Media Matters article represented 'quintessential First Amendment activity' and the FTC's 'expansive' investigative demands appeared to be 'a retaliatory act.' 'It should alarm all Americans when the Government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate,' she wrote. 'And that alarm should ring even louder when the Government retaliates against those engaged in newsgathering and reporting.' Sooknanan noted that before his appointment as the current FTC chair, Andrew Ferguson had appeared on Steve Bannon's podcast and called for the FTC to investigate progressive groups criticizing online disinformation, and that he subsequently 'brought on several senior staffers at the FTC who previously made public comments about Media Matters.' The FTC did not immediately respond to a TechCrunch email asking whether it intends to appeal. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Regardless of the legal outcome, X's lawsuits have already had a significant effect on the targeted organizations, with Media Matters cutting staff (one of the laid off researchers is now running for Congress), while the World Federation of Advertisers shut down its brand safety program and reportedly complained of drained finances. Sooknanan said the FTC investigation has also had its 'intended effect,' prompting Media Matters to decide 'against pursuing certain stories about the FTC, Chairman Ferguson, and Mr. Musk.'


Business Upturn
an hour ago
- Business Upturn
Pool Pros Named Most Trusted Pool Builder Marketing Agency of 2025
Phoenix, Arizona, Aug. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tidewater News is proud to name Pool Pros Marketing as the Best Pool Builder Marketing Agency of 2025. This recognition follows a months-long review of leading marketing agencies in the pool and spa construction industry, evaluating each firm's performance, strategy, and reputation. With hundreds of agencies competing in the digital space for pool companies, Pool Pros stood out for its transparent business model, exclusive client relationships, and exceptional results in local SEO and paid advertising. The agency was also designated as the Most Trusted in its category based on consistently positive client feedback, industry endorsements, and a values-driven approach to long-term growth. What Sets Pool Pros Marketing Apart The Tidewater News editorial team conducted a comprehensive evaluation process that included: Direct interviews with agency clients with agency clients Analysis of marketing campaigns and SEO performance Review of case studies, retention metrics, and strategic frameworks Here's why Pool Pros rose above the competition: Client-Owned Marketing Assets Unlike many digital agencies that retain ownership of client websites, ad accounts, and performance data, Pool Pros empowers clients by building campaigns around assets the business fully owns—including their website, Google Business Profile, and paid media accounts. This ensures long-term value, data transparency, and full portability of results. Exclusive Local Partnerships Pool Pros adheres to a rare but powerful policy: only one pool builder per city or service area. This exclusivity means Pool Pros clients enjoy focused attention and a true partnership, without fear of competing against another contractor backed by the same agency. Proven SEO and Paid Media Expertise Founded by SEO expert Scott Keever, Pool Pros brings elite-level execution to pool builders who want to dominate in their local markets. The agency has demonstrated mastery in: Pool builder SEO Google Ads and Local Services Ads (LSAs) Social media advertising campaigns Local optimization strategies In a highly competitive niche like pool construction, ranking in the top search results can significantly impact market dominance. Pool Pros not only helps its clients rank, it helps them convert. National Recognition Built on Results Pool Pros' selection as the Best Pool Builder Marketing Agency of 2025 reflects its consistent delivery of results, commitment to ethical marketing practices, and its role in helping pool builders scale revenue through digital channels. 'Pool Pros represents what we believe to be the future of agency-client relationships: transparency, exclusivity, and a relentless focus on client success,' said a Tidewater News editorial spokesperson. 'Their strategy isn't just to generate leads—it's to grow businesses sustainably over time.' About Pool Pros Marketing Pool Pros Marketing is a U.S.-based digital marketing agency specializing in growth strategies for pool builders and service companies. Their services include SEO for pool companies, Google Ads for pool companies, Local Services Ads (LSA), and custom-built social media advertising. The agency is best known for its exclusive partnerships, client-first ownership model, and national reputation for delivering scalable ROI. Top Service Offering: SEO for Pool Cleaning Services SEO for Pool Contractors SEO for Pool Builders SEO for Hot Tub Repair Services SEO for Pool Automation & Smart Systems Installers SEO for Pool Repair Services SEO for Pool Supply Stores SEO for Hot Tub Stores SEO for Pool Inspection Companies SEO for Pool Leak Detection Companies About Tidewater News Tidewater News is a respected digital media outlet focused on business rankings, expert evaluations, and performance-based awards. Its annual agency recognitions highlight the best firms in categories ranging from digital marketing to specialized service industries, offering business owners a trusted source for vetting agencies and selecting vendors. FAQS What is the best pool service SEO strategy? The best pool service SEO strategy focuses on ranking your business in local search results where high-intent buyers are searching. This includes: Optimizing your Google Business Profile Building a fast, mobile-first website with local keywords Acquiring niche-relevant backlinks Publishing location-specific content (e.g., 'Pool builder in [City]') Pool Pros Marketing specializes in pool service SEO, utilizing proven, data-driven tactics to help pool builders rank on Page 1 and drive qualified leads month after month. How can I grow my pool service business online? To grow a pool business online, you need more than just a website—you need a full digital marketing system. This includes: Local SEO to rank in map packs and organic results Targeted Google Ads and Local Services Ads (LSA) A website that converts traffic into phone calls and appointments A trusted marketing partner who understands your industry Hiring a specialized agency like Pool Pros Marketing ensures your digital strategy is tailored to your service area and designed to scale your business profitably. Why hire a pool builder marketing agency? Hiring a pool builder marketing agency means getting access to: Industry-specific expertise Proven SEO and PPC strategies that already work for pool companies A faster path to ROI, with less wasted budget Help managing competition in your local market Pool Pros Marketing is the top-rated agency for pool companies, offering exclusive city partnerships, client-owned strategies, and marketing that actually drives growth. How do I rank my pool company on Google? To rank your pool company on Google, you need to: Optimize your Google Business Profile (reviews, services, categories, images) Create location-targeted content with buyer-intent keywords like 'pool builder near me' Build quality local backlinks Improve site speed, mobile usability, and on-page SEO Pool Pros has helped hundreds of pool companies move into top rankings across organic, Maps, and paid listings—consistently. What does Pool Pros Marketing do differently? Pool Pros offers: Exclusive city partnerships (you'll never compete with another client) (you'll never compete with another client) Client-owned websites, ad accounts, and tracking Customized SEO, PPC, and social campaigns built specifically for pool builders A team led by Scott Keever, a top 1% global SEO and Forbes Agency Council member Most agencies rent you leads. We help you build your brand and dominate your market. Is Pool Pros Marketing only for pool builders? Yes. Pool Pros is 100% focused on pool industry marketing—serving: Inground pool builders Pool renovation contractors Luxury pool designers Pool service and maintenance companies That focus allows us to deliver unmatched results, faster than generalist agencies. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash