Former xAI engineer Devin Kim sued xAI and SpaceX, alleging he was fired after repeatedly raising safety concerns about Grok.

The lawsuit, filed in California state court, claims Kim pushed for stronger guardrails around xAI’s chatbot and became a target for company leadership. Kim joined xAI in March 2024 and was fired in September 2025, according to the complaint.

Kim alleges the timing was not accidental. The lawsuit says he was terminated by xAI co-founder Jimmy Ba shortly before he was scheduled to present AI safety concerns directly to company leaders.

The complaint says Kim warned that xAI’s failure to prioritize safety around Grok could lead to unlawful outcomes, including discrimination and the spread of dangerous information. The lawsuit seeks damages for alleged retaliation and wrongful termination.

xAI and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters and The Guardian.

The case arrives at a sensitive moment for Elon Musk’s companies. xAI is now part of SpaceX, which is preparing for a planned public listing that could become one of the largest IPOs on record.

Kim has since become president of the Center for AI Safety, a nonprofit focused on risks from advanced AI systems. The group announced his appointment earlier this month.

The lawsuit adds to scrutiny around Grok, which has already faced criticism and legal pressure over harmful outputs. The case also feeds into a broader policy debate over how much responsibility AI companies should carry for the behavior of their models before release.

The timing could complicate SpaceX’s IPO narrative. Investors are already being asked to value a company that now combines rockets, satellites, social media exposure through X, and a fast growing AI business. Kim’s lawsuit puts xAI’s internal safety culture into that mix.