Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is facing a lawsuit from a former engineer who alleged he was fired after repeatedly raising concerns about the safety of the company’s chatbot Grok. The lawsuit was filed in California state court by Devin Kim, a former member of xAI’s post-training team who now serves as president of the Center for AI Safety.
According to the complaint, Kim warned company leaders that insufficient safeguards around Grok could expose users to harmful outcomes, including discriminatory behavior and the spread of information related to weapons of mass destruction. He alleged that his efforts to strengthen safety measures made him a target within the company and ultimately led to his dismissal.
READ: xAI raises $20 billion in Series E round as Grok controversy intensifies (January 7, 2026)
The lawsuit comes as SpaceX, xAI’s parent company, prepares for a highly anticipated public offering. Kim claims he was terminated shortly before he was scheduled to present findings related to AI safety to company leadership in September 2025.
Court filings, cited by TechCrunch, state that Kim became one of the company’s most vocal advocates for AI safety while working on Grok. The complaint argues that some of the risks he identified later surfaced publicly as the chatbot faced scrutiny over controversial outputs and safety-related incidents.
Notably, the lawsuit does not primarily blame Musk for the alleged retaliation. Instead, it focuses on former xAI co-founder Jimmy Ba, whom Kim accuses of opposing safety measures and retaliating against employees who pushed for stronger safeguards. The filing alleges that Ba prioritized rapid development and the pursuit of advanced AI capabilities over safety concerns.
READ: Musk’s Grok AI may violate App Store rules over inappropriate content in 12+ app (July 17, 2025)
Kim is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with a court declaration that xAI and SpaceX violated California labor laws protecting employees who raise concerns about unlawful or unsafe practices. xAI and SpaceX had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
The lawsuit adds to growing scrutiny of AI companies as regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders debate how rapidly advancing systems should be governed. It also highlights ongoing tensions within the AI sector between accelerating innovation and implementing safeguards designed to address potential risks before they reach the public.