BAES 140: Why Are So Many AI Researchers Quitting?

The Ben and Emil Show

Ben and Emil

Comedy

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Elon Musk is rapidly losing founders and engineers at his precious little xAI. And he's not the only one: OpenAI and Anthropic have also lost key players, whose resignations are worded ominously to say the least. But hey, at least Chinese robots are coming to snip our butts, right? Also this week's bonus episode is pure goofy chaos. Support us and get bonus content, ad-free versions and more plus your first 7 days free at https://benandemilshow.com ***THE SOUTHWEST COMPANION PASS IS BACK GET IT HERE: https://www.cardratings.com/bestcards/featured-credit-cards?src=691608&shnq=520080,4028088,4048122,4028085,3006151,4048149,4028089,4048084&var2= The newest acid video is out now so check it out! https://youtu.be/7vkFY3f5kkw WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE OF EMIL'S NEW SHOW! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHG9iIjhXvI OUR NEW CREDIT CARD SITE IS LIVE!!! Go get that AMEX personal card before it's gone! https://thecreditcardlist.com Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it! And please leave us a comment! It helps us! ***Ben's new movies and tv podcast with Dillon is OUT NOW! GO WATCH the latest episode on our TOP MOVIES OF 2025: https://youtu.be/tbC-cMqcby8?si=tO0NK0PmpN2187ir **CHECK OUT EMIL'S LIVESTREAMS HERE: https://www.youtube.com/emilderosa __ SOME OTHER VIDEOS YOU MAY ENJOY: That's Cringe of Cody Ko: https://youtu.be/dTbEk0pVh2w Our AUSTIN VIDEO: https://youtu.be/yGSs56bFzRU Our episode with Kyla Scanlon: https://youtu.be/cIHWkY35cuc Big Tech is out of ideas (ft. ED ZITRON): https://youtu.be/zBvVGHZBpMw Arguing with a millionaire (ft. Chris Camillo): https://youtu.be/1ZUWTkWV_MM We bought suits HERE: https://youtu.be/_cM1XqA9n2U ***LINK TO OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/CjujBt8g ***Subscribe to Emil's Substack: https://substack.com/@emilderosa ***Trade with Ben at https://tradertreehouse.com __ FABRIC: Apply in minutes to help protect your family at meetfabric.com/BAES with promo code BAES. FACTOR: Head to factormeals.com/baes50off and use code baes50off to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year for new subscribers. HIMS HAIR: For simple, online access to personalized and affordable care for Hair Loss, ED, Weight Loss, and more, visit https://Hims.com/BAES for your free online visit. __ Follow us on instagram! @ benandemilshow @ bencahn @ emilderosa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	The Philly Cheese Stack is back at McDonald's and it's still intensely cheesy. Imagine the cheesiest thing ever. Now cover it in cheese. Add two beef patties, cheddar cheese sauce, crispy onions and even more cheese. The Philly Cheese Stack. Did we mention it's cheesy? Available until the 16th of March, 26 from 11 a.m. Fees applied to delivery orders. Price and participation may vary. Subjects availability. There were a spate resignations. Think over 11 employees have left XAI.
0:26.6	Yeah, I think at this point there are only six of the 12 original co-founders left at XAI.
0:31.7	Just these people who like graduated from Oxford and are just dedicated to the craft,
0:41.7	just going into a meeting with Elon Musk being like, yeah, but how do we make it based?
0:50.1	Anyway, you had Anthropic, their head of Safeguards research just resigned. His bio says he's a poet and a researcher.
0:56.0	It is clear to me that the time has come to move on. I continuously find myself reckoning with our situation. The world is in peril, and not just from AI or bio-weapons, but from a whole series of interconnected crises unfolding in this very moment.
1:05.0	By the way, this guy has footnotes in his two-page letter.
1:08.0	If you're going to do this, get specific about what you saw.
1:11.6	You know, if you're so worried about our interconnected crises, hit me, hit me with it.
1:16.6	But he gives us absolutely nothing.
1:17.6	He's going to put out a poem that's like, roses, red, violets are blue.
1:20.6	AI is scary.
1:21.6	And you should be too.
1:23.6	And you should be too.
1:24.6	And I, and it's scary too.
1:26.6	You're scary too. And it's scary too. You're scary too.
1:29.4	That was bad.
1:35.3	I'm looking down toad with baby on me.
1:37.7	Tell me what's going on.
1:40.3	Tell me what's going on.
1:47.0	So listen enough to baby to me. Tell me what's going on. Tell me what's going on Tell me what's going on
1:50.0	Let it count down
	...

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