Elon Musk Today: xAI Layoffs, Macrohard Launch, Voter ID Push, and a Singularity Declaration All in One Week
Elon Musk is dominating headlines across technology, politics, and finance this Friday — ordering new job cuts at xAI, unveiling a sweeping AI-software project called Macrohard, pushing the Senate on voter ID, and declaring that humanity has already entered the AI Singularity.
xAI Layoffs and a Rebuilt Foundation After Co-Founder Exodus
Less than six weeks after Elon Musk merged SpaceX and xAI in a deal he valued at $1.25 trillion, the world's richest person is acknowledging that his AI startup "was not built right first time around, so is being rebuilt from the foundations up." The statement came after a number of xAI's co-founders recently departed the company.
Musk has ordered another round of job cuts at xAI after seeing the rapid success of coding tools from generative AI rivals OpenAI and Anthropic. The cuts signal a sharp strategic pivot toward AI-powered coding, the sector where competition is now fiercest.
SpaceX this week hired two programmers from red-hot AI coding startup Cursor — Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsberg — as xAI tries to compete head-to-head in the coding AI race. Musk also posted a public apology on X, writing, "Many talented people over the past few years were declined an offer or even an interview @xAI. My apologies."
Macrohard: Tesla and xAI Launch Software Disruption Project
Elon Musk on Wednesday unveiled a joint project between Tesla and xAI he called "Macrohard" — also referred to as "Digital Optimus" — describing it as a system capable of emulating the functions of entire software companies. The project pairs xAI's Grok large language model as a high-level "navigator" with a Tesla-developed AI agent that processes real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.
Records from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that xAI filed a trademark application for "Macrohard" as far back as August 2025, suggesting the project had been in development for months before Musk went public with it.
Tesla is integrating Grok into its vehicle infotainment and navigation systems and using Grok models in the development of its Optimus humanoid robots. Tesla has also sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of its large backup batteries to xAI for use at its data centers.
X Money Goes Live Next Month as Musk Builds the "Everything App"
Elon Musk said Tuesday that X Money, the platform's digital payment system, will enter early public access next month as he pushes to transform X into an "everything app." X partnered with Visa last year to help offer direct payment services to customers of the social media app, opening new revenue streams beyond advertising.
Musk Pushes Senate on Voter ID: "Enact the Will of the People"
On Friday, Musk amplified a post from America PAC — a political action committee he backs — highlighting polling showing 76% of Black voters, 85% of White voters, and 82% of Latino voters in favor of voter ID rules. Musk's response was direct: "The Senate must enact the will of the people." The post racked up over 70,000 likes within hours.
The push ties directly to a voter ID bill that passed the House on February 11, 2026, by a 218-213 vote mostly along party lines. Senate Democrats vow to block it, and betting markets put the odds of passage at around 14%.
"We Have Entered the Singularity": Musk's Biggest AI Claim Yet
Musk recently posted on X, "We have entered the Singularity," followed hours later by a second post declaring "2026 is the year of the Singularity." Both came in response to engineers describing AI tools that can now compress years of work into weeks. Musk said he would prefer to slow AI down but admitted that is likely impossible given the competitive pressure from rivals.
His comments tie directly to his own companies' trajectory. At an xAI livestream last July, Musk said, "Even if it wasn't gonna be good, I'd at least like to be alive to see it happen."
SpaceX IPO and Tesla Robotaxi Milestones
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the company will sell its fully autonomous Cybercab robotaxi for under $30,000 before 2027, as production officially begins. SpaceX's potential blockbuster IPO is also on the horizon, with Musk citing orbital data centers powered by solar energy as a key reason for the SpaceX-xAI merger.
Musk also said that X saw its highest-ever usage following U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, as millions turned to the platform for real-time updates on the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East.
