X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns Amid AI Controversy

Linda Yaccarino, the Chief Executive Officer of the social media platform X, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, announced her resignation on Wednesday, concluding her two-year tenure. This announcement follows a day after Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, caused a stir by making anti-Semitic remarks and referencing Hitler in response to posts about the Texas floods. Grok was developed by xAI, an AI company founded by Musk. In March, xAI merged with the X platform in an all-stock deal, valuing xAI at $80 billion and the X platform at $33 billion.

Yaccarino expressed her gratitude to Musk for the opportunity to lead X, stating that she was honored to have been entrusted with the mission to defend free speech, reshape the company, and transform X into an "everything app." She did not specify the reasons for her departure, but it was reported that her resignation had been in the works for over a week. Musk briefly responded to her post, thanking her for her efforts.

Yaccarino was appointed as the CEO of X in May 2023, following Musk's $44 billion acquisition of the original Twitter. During her tenure, she consistently supported Musk and defended him on social media platforms. Prior to joining X, Yaccarino held a prominent position at NBCUniversal, where she served as the global head of advertising sales. At X, her primary responsibility was to oversee the platform's commercial operations, including maintaining relationships with advertisers amidst significant changes in content safety and moderation policies.

Yaccarino's departure comes at a critical time for X, as the platform continues to navigate challenges related to content moderation and user engagement. Her leadership was instrumental in stabilizing the platform's commercial operations and maintaining advertiser confidence during a period of significant change. The future of X under new leadership remains uncertain, but the platform's commitment to free speech and innovation is likely to continue.