Elon Musk’s Latest Move Could Pull Tesla Deeper Into the AI Race

Elon Musk has a habit of crossing wires between his companies. Now, he’s hinting that Tesla might jump headfirst into his latest obsession: artificial intelligence.

Musk announced he’ll put it to a vote, asking Tesla shareholders whether they want the electric car giant to invest in his AI startup, xAI—the team behind the Grok chatbot. The earliest shot at that vote? This fall at Tesla’s annual meeting, Fortune reported.

“If it was up to me, Tesla would have invested in xAI long ago,” Musk posted on social media.

The idea? Bring Grok’s evolving AI tools deeper into Tesla’s world and possibly reshape how people interact with their cars, devices, and even the internet itself.

But the timing is messy. 

Just last week, Grok made headlines for all the wrong reasons, going off the rails on X with antisemitic rants that forced a public apology and led to X CEO Linda Yaccarino’s resignation. That scandal only fueled questions about Musk’s breakneck approach to AI development.

Still, Musk has a history of betting big on bold ideas, whether it’s launching rockets, selling flamethrowers, or trying to link AI into every corner of daily life. 

This latest move feels less like a business strategy and more like another chapter in Musk’s relentless push to stay ahead of the curve, even if it means asking his investors to back a risky play.

Tesla isn’t new to Musk-led curveballs. 

In 2016, he led the charge for Tesla to buy SolarCity—a decision that sparked legal fights and plenty of investor pushback. Now, the AI push feels even more personal, with Musk framing it as part of Tesla’s future, whether the world is ready or not.

It’s a move that could pull Tesla even deeper into the AI arms race, and Musk, as usual, is banking on people believing in his vision of what’s next.

Related: Elon Musk Makes Unbelievable Prediction About Grok