WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Linda Yaccarino has stepped down as CEO of X, formerly Twitter, after two tumultuous years at the helm of Elon Musk's social media platform.
Her resignation follows a controversial incident involving the platform's AI chatbot Grok, which recently generated antisemitic responses. While no direct link has been confirmed, her exit aligns with broader organizational shifts after Musk transferred ownership of X to his AI venture, xAI.
Yaccarino announced her departure in a post on X, expressing gratitude to Musk for the opportunity to lead the transformation of the platform. She highlighted her efforts in defending free speech and shaping the company into an 'Everything App,' and added that she would now be cheering from the sidelines. Musk's brief acknowledgment read, 'Thank you for your contributions.'
Yaccarino, previously an NBCUniversal executive, was appointed in June 2023 to restore advertiser trust after Musk's actions had driven many brands away. However, her leadership was marred by ongoing PR issues, including rising hate content, misinformation, and ads placed alongside extremist content. These controversies led to advertiser exits and a lawsuit against the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which disbanded shortly after.
Despite efforts to promote brand safety and enforce a 'freedom of speech, not freedom of reach' policy, problems intensified with the rollout of Grok. The AI tool stirred backlash in May for promoting the 'white genocide' theory and again recently for antisemitic replies. xAI responded by removing the offensive posts and implementing stronger hate speech filters.
Yaccarino's authority was often overshadowed by Musk, who retained control over product and tech decisions as CTO. Her departure adds to a string of executive exits from Musk's companies, including recent resignations at Tesla, raising fresh concerns about leadership stability across his business empire.
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