Jimmy Ba, a co‑founder of xAI, said on Feb. 11 that he will leave the company, posting a brief public note thanking Elon Musk and describing his time at the startup as part of an "extraordinary journey." He framed the exit as amicable, saying he had been grateful to be part of the founding team and that he will remain in close contact with colleagues as a friend of the team.
Ba's message also looked ahead: he warned that 2026 promises to be "crazy," potentially one of the busiest and most decisive years in human history. That line underlines how senior figures inside leading AI ventures view the next 12–24 months as a moment of accelerated product rollouts, commercial battles and political scrutiny that could shape long‑term winners in the field.
The departure matters because xAI occupies an outsized public role in the commercial AI race, buoyed by Elon Musk's profile and cross‑company linkages. In an industry where leadership teams and star engineers are often seen as critical to credibility and momentum, the loss of a co‑founder — even on friendly terms — may prompt fresh questions about talent retention, governance and the company’s capacity to execute during a high‑stakes period.
For observers outside Silicon Valley, Ba's exit is also a reminder that the AI sector is entering a new phase. 2026 is expected to bring tougher customer expectations, firmer regulation in multiple jurisdictions, and an intensifying battle for compute, data and enterprise deals; how xAI manages leadership transitions now will influence its ability to capitalise on those dynamics and to compete with established rivals.