Grok Imagine creator leaves xAI after just 9 months
Zeeshan Patel, the first video team hire at xAI and the brains behind Grok Imagine v0.9, has left after just nine months.
Patel's tool now powers millions of daily videos on X and the Grok app.
His departure was reported in January 2026.
Patel's farewell post
Patel joined xAI from NVIDIA to work on world models—core tech for AI-generated content.
He and his team built Grok Imagine from scratch in just three months, often pulling late nights.
In his farewell post, he thanked Musk for his feedback and gave a shoutout to his teammates, saying he was proud of what they built together before heading off to new adventures.
xAI's challenges and upcoming game
Patel's departure comes amid concerns about xAI's dual-employment setup with X, which could make it harder to keep top talent as competition heats up.
It also comes as xAI gears up to launch an AI-powered game.