xAI's highly anticipated "Macrohard" AI agent project has stalled due to leadership changes and the suspension of large-scale data initiatives. Proposed by Elon Musk in August this year, the plan aimed to leverage AI to simulate white-collar work environments similar to those at Microsoft. However, since its launch, the project has frequently changed leads: two senior executives resigned in February, and their successor, Toby Pohlen, announced his departure just 16 days after taking over. Multiple engineers revealed that more than ten core team members left within the past month, while the current headcount remains unknown. Meanwhile, Tesla is accelerating its own comparable AI agent initiative, dubbed "Digital Optimus." Some aspects of Macrohard’s scope and computing resources have reportedly been transferred to Tesla’s autonomous driving division. Tesla’s Digital Optimus focuses on building digital agents capable of executing computer tasks, employing a technical approach significantly different from xAI’s. The team abandoned traditional methods based on static screenshot analysis in favor of real-time streaming video processing akin to full self-driving systems, enabling instant responses through continuous information streams rather than step-by-step processing. Additionally, a data annotation project involving 600 contractors tied to Macrohard has also been suspended. Originally requiring participants to record screen activity and daily life footage to train AI models simulating human behavior, the effort was halted per an official memo citing model deficiencies necessitating adjustments to data collection protocols. As of this week, however, the project remains inactive. Although xAI and Tesla previously collaborated on investments and integrated Grok into their ecosystems, the stagnation of Macrohard alongside hiring trends related to Tesla positions signals diverging strategic paths between the two companies regarding AI agents. Currently, there are no open roles listed for the Macrohard team on xAI’s recruitment page.