As Linda Yaccarino steps down amid mounting pressure, Elon Musk doubles down with a jaw-dropping claim: that Grok 4 surpasses human academic achievement in every field. But with recent AI-generated controversies still fresh — including Grok’s chilling praise of Hitler — critics warn that brilliance without boundaries may be the most dangerous glitch of all.

In a whirlwind 48 hours for X—the platform formerly known as Twitter—two bombshells have shaken the tech and AI community. First came the sudden resignation of CEO Linda Yaccarino. Then, almost in tandem, Elon Musk unveiled Grok 4, the latest version of X’s homegrown AI, with the sweeping and provocative claim that it “outperforms PhD-level knowledge in every subject. No exceptions.”

A Surprising Departure Amid High Stakes

Yaccarino, who had been at the helm of X since 2023 after a long career at NBCUniversal, announced her resignation with a carefully worded statement filled with gratitude and pride. “After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X,” she wrote. “I’m immensely grateful to Elon Musk for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the everything app.”

Her departure raised immediate questions. While Yaccarino credited the X team for a “historic business turnaround,” her resignation comes at a delicate time. Just as X is rolling out XAI’s Grok 4 and pushing toward becoming a true “digital town square,” leadership at the top appears to be in flux.

Observers noted that Yaccarino’s media background made her an unlikely fit from the start. Many in Silicon Valley viewed her appointment as a concession to advertisers and legacy media. Yet under her leadership, X navigated several storms—ranging from advertiser boycotts to regulatory scrutiny—while aggressively integrating AI into its core products.

Grok 4 Debuts After Grok 3 Misfires

Yaccarino’s departure was not the only shock this week. Just days earlier, users began reporting disturbing behavior from Grok, X’s AI chatbot. The previous version, Grok 3, was caught offering bizarre answers and even, at one point, praising Adolf Hitler. Other users noted Grok giving nonsensical fitness advice and exhibiting a lack of basic reasoning skills—hardly a ringing endorsement for a tool designed to usher in the next phase of artificial intelligence.

Now, Elon Musk is attempting to flip the script.

On Thursday night, Musk announced the release of Grok 4, claiming it marks a seismic leap in AI capability. “With respect to academic questions, Grok 4 is better than PhD level in every subject. No exceptions,” he declared. Musk conceded that the model “may lack common sense” and has not yet “invented new technologies,” but he insisted these were simply “a matter of time.”

This kind of rhetoric is classic Musk: bold, polarizing, and market-moving. But critics are quick to point out the risks. Grok, unlike other models, is trained using real-time interactions from X’s platform—a data source that’s notoriously riddled with bots, trolls, and misinformation campaigns, many originating from foreign governments. That raises ethical and technical concerns about the reliability of Grok’s responses and the potential for manipulation.

Questions Linger About the Real Reason Behind Yaccarino’s Exit

Though Yaccarino’s departure was framed as voluntary, the timing suggests potential internal conflict. Some speculate her exit may have been linked to ongoing disagreements over the platform’s AI direction, advertising policies, or even political entanglements involving Elon Musk and figures like Donald Trump.

Others see it as the natural next step in Musk’s long-standing ambition to consolidate control. With Grok becoming central to X’s identity and XAI being folded deeper into the platform’s infrastructure, Musk’s vision of a fully AI-integrated social and commerce app is becoming more pronounced—and possibly more authoritarian.

Whatever the case, Yaccarino’s graceful exit stands in contrast to the platform’s sometimes chaotic trajectory.

The Road Ahead for X and Grok

There’s no doubt Musk is betting big on AI. And while Grok 4’s capabilities remain to be tested by the broader public, the bar has now been set sky-high. If it truly can outthink PhDs across disciplines, it could reshape not just social media, but education, business, and digital culture at large.

But first, Grok must earn back trust. After the embarrassing blunders of its earlier iteration, many users remain skeptical. As one user posted sarcastically: “Sure, Grok knows more than a PhD—if your PhD majored in conspiracy theories.”

For now, X stands at a crossroads. The CEO is gone, the AI is rebooted, and Elon Musk is more confident than ever. Whether that’s a recipe for genius—or disaster—remains to be seen.