THE MAYO Q&A: (Patreon)

An xAI (and SpaceX) Q&A Session by Sr Colossus Site Build and Infrastructure Lead, Brent Mayo

On February 15, 2025, Brent Mayo (@BrentM_SpaceX), a xAI Colossus Lead and SpaceX Senior Launch Engineer, hosted a Q&A session here on X, with a few replies from X/xAI’s Andree Jacobson (@nmswede). Below is the detailed account of all the questions posed by users and Brent's responses.

Note: This was conducted by Brent. I have only made an easy transcript for your enjoyment.

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The Start of the Session:

Brent Mayo: "Well, here we are again…. let’s get this party started. In the words of Chris Stapleton 'Fire Away'! Q/A open"

1. @blankspeaker: "Can you ship grok 3 today. It's been a slow week as far as updates from x and xai."

Brent Mayo: "😂😂😂😂😂That’s with the super talented people of xAI led by Igor Babuschkin (@ibab)."

2. @Joe__Black__: "Can you comment on Grok 3 comparison to OpenAI o3 (on its highest 'mode'). Will that for now still be a bit better than Grok 3 or can Grok 3 surpass or match it on a general level? Or even on specific topics if you could share :), thanks for this Q&A!"

Brent Mayo: "Smart people question…… but Elons statements about Grok 3 should hold true."

3. @Joe__Black__: “Sorry for the number of questions but this is such an unique opportunity to ask someone with this knowledge so I hope you can understand 😉? Are you guys above 300k GPU's yet for Colossus? Or when do you guys expect to be?”

Brent Mayo: “We like to keep the over/under pretty tight to the chest but I wouldn’t “not” say we’re in the neighborhood. 😎”

4. @bruhther_fred: “What 1 (or 2) classes in your educational journey would you say had the biggest impact on preparing you to get where you are today?”

Andree Jacobson: “Not a lot of college classes prepare you for infrastructure"

@bruhther_fred: “Working in infrastructure myself, I agree. Most, if not all, classes completed by high school is all that’s needed: math (algebra, geometry, differential equations), physics, statics & dynamics, and a semester on material science would be useful. Then get out onto job sites."

Brent Mayo: “Physics and construction science…… and inserting myself around super smart people."

Andree Jacobson: “Math, programming (logic), comp arch. Self-taught sys admin, tinkering.”

5. @Joe__Black__: “Elon commented that this might be the last time any AI is better than Grok. So would we interpret Grok 3 could be slightly less vs o3. But Grok 4, etc would be above everyone else? Is a big part cause of speed & amount of compute built out over next period?"

Brent Mayo: "I would closely listen to Elon words and understand how impactful this is about to be. 🤝"

6. @dnlkrgr: “Elon talks about first principles thinking and how helpful it is to use it. But I find it difficult to apply. Is there an algorithm on how to do it? Or is just "what are the physics first principles in this domain" and "what assumptions are being made in the current approach"?"

Brent Mayo: “It’s critically important to use it in everything you do. Def ask Grok for pointers and you will be solid!”

7. @Joe__Black__: “Could you comment on how, if and or when xAI is working with Tesla Optimus for training data and / or Integration into Optimus? Is Grok 3 going to be multimodal? That seems to be sorta like requirement right for it to be integrated into robotics, thanks!"

Brent Mayo: “I don’t get into the wide world of Tesla but I do know they are doing amazing things. Don’t believe you are off the plot in your “requirement” sentiment tho."

8. @dustinthedad: “Is there any work being on kid friendly AI? Grok on a speaker for my son would change our life."

Brent Mayo: “Believe those controls can be implemented but again, that goes back to freedom of speech and altering the “maximally” truth seeking directive (to some degree). Valid question tho."

9. @Joe__Black__: "Maybe a SpaceX question too? I was wondering what the pace of construction a full Starship + Booster is for 2025? I know you guys applied for a 25 flights license but are you thinking 1 a month now? Or what's the ambitious goal vs realistic goal for launches?"

Brent Mayo: "The team SpaceX push the boundaries of everything. From planning, to construction, to recovery and beyond our atmosphere. Their pace is 'waiting' on approvals but as the expression goes 'if you stay ready you don’t have to get ready'. They are never gated by construction now that Starbase is humming! Truly inspiring humans all the way around."

10. @Joe__Black__: “Is it fair to say Grok 4 is already halfway through its training run? Could you shed some light on the cadence of new Grok versions (assuming all goes well testing etc)? Is it in terms of half a year for a version? 3 months? 12 months? Which one is closest ;)?"

Brent Mayo: “The world isn’t fair 😂😂😂 And I have zero clue, I (for the most part) get the luxury of building and ensuring Grok is humming with maximum efficiency.”

11. @Joe__Black__: “When do you guys expect to relaunch a (caught) booster? Is that something for 2026? Or 2nd half of 2025? First half maybe? That could probably increase the cadence of launches massively, right?”

Brent Mayo: “Boundaries are never in place for the SpaceX team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they already started reusing components from returned boosters. Clearly don’t know if they have but possibilities are endless! Also the exciting thing is the limitless possibilities you have working with a company like SpaceX."

12. @EmilianoFratic2: “Hi! What do you think to adopt going forward for your compute? Stick to NVDIA 's hardware or add ASICS/ custom chips or chips from Intel or AMD?”

Brent Mayo: “As is the case in all Elon Musk companies, anything option wise is always on the table. I work with incredible humans (and Grok ) who keep decision points at the forefront of our mind. We constantly review options to ensure we are not flat in our approach. This 🚀is at max velocity (but can get faster 😂).”

13. @Tristan_Sarg: “Here is a SpaceX question. What is one skill related to embedded systems that you noticed was lacking in software/computer/electrical engineers at SpaceX that up-and-coming engineers in this field could bring to an interview to add to their value proposition as an employee?”

Brent Mayo: “One skill I often looked at in software, computer, and electrical engineers at SpaceX when it comes to embedded systems is probably proficiency in real-time operating systems (RTOS). Understanding how to design, implement, and optimize software for RTOS environments can significantly enhance an engineer's value proposition. This skill is crucial for managing tasks with strict timing requirements, which is common in aerospace applications like satellite control, propulsion systems, and avionics. Up-and-coming engineers could demonstrate.”

14. @AGItechgonewild: “What synergies do you see between Tesla & xAI? 😁”

Brent Mayo: “A megapack! 😂😂😂”

@Joe__Black__: “Do you see Megapacks (or a similar big battery) as a fundamental requirement of all big GPU clusters moving forward? And if so could you elaborate why?”

Brent Mayo: “I believe large power users have an obligation to utilize this technology to be able to isolate from the grid in a demand response event (thus ensuring we are not contributing to any community power outages). As is the case with the megapack, we could even turn around and sell power back to the grid during those events at a heavily discounted rate to ensure taxpayers/ratepayers never see increased utility bills.

Again, this goes back to sustainability and that covers both natural (I.e. our graywater plant) and man-made (I.e. the electrical grid) resources. If you’re not being a good custodian of both you should FK OFF.”

15. @sethsaler: “Aside from what I expect you to say is your co-workers, what is the biggest perk of your employment?”

Brent Mayo: “Working in a horizontal/liner management org that allows the best individual contributors to excel would be the perk for me. You either have it, have the ability to gain it or are gone. That sense of ownership/responsibility is what I look forward to.”

16. @Joe__Black__: “When do you guys expect and/or aim to launch from at the second tower at Boca Chica?”

Brent Mayo: “Following @cnunezimages and @SERobinsonJr always gives great insight to the readiness of the builds down there. Common point I always have is look at the first build of any Elon company and then reduce the next by 50% (timing wise). Admittedly, as is the case down there Mach speed is achieved so would think soon.”

17. @LACYF50: “What other products are you guys looking at?”

Brent Mayo: “Any/all is the only answer here. Never limit yourself otherwise constraints are always in the way.”

Andree Jacobson: “!!”

18. @Technotoaster: “Do you prefer working at either SpaceX or XAI? Only one winner, lol.”

Brent Mayo: “I’m a very in the moment person and currently XAI holds my ❤️.”

19. @winnmarkb: “Why is it that Elon Musk said that Grok 3 would release in December and now it’s been delayed until “1-2 weeks from now””

Brent Mayo: “Reference his comments about building a house…”

20. @LACYF50: “How do you guys see xai as differentiating itself from the other labs?”

Brent Mayo: “We are the best…. Period!”

21. @akkkshaaay: “Will Grok 3 have projects feature?”

Brent Mayo: “If it doesn’t the best part about the xAI team is the feedback loop is real and fast. Enhancements can always be made and the group entertains them real time. It’s kind of sick!”

22. @one_line_proof: “The fractal tree demo - was it made with Grok 3?”

Brent Mayo: “Pass.”

23. @Dimdv99: “Have you tested Grok 3, if yes, what were the results? Is it coming next week?"

Brent Mayo: "Grok 3 = 👀"

@grokflash: “You think all eyes on grok Brent? 😁🤝”

Brent Mayo: “I’m certain of it.”

24. @KaiserThaws: "What’s the limiting factor for Grok 4 ? Compute, power or data ? Or something else :-)"

Brent Mayo: "As with everything here, you build and the team delivers. I would personally say we are not limited by anything at the moment (from my perspective). So many wonderful 👨‍🍳 in the kitchen whipping up literally everything in the AI space xAI"

25. @depthmapped: “How will xAI address growing demands for power consumption, in general terms?”

Brent Mayo: “Utilize other resources to maximize electrons and also bring on new ones.”

26. @pickle41968: “What is your favorite standard library method? (any language).”

Brent Mayo: “In Python, my favorite standard library method is `enumerate()`. It's incredibly useful for iterating over lists while keeping track of the index:

```python

for index, value in enumerate(some_list):

print(f"Index {index}: {value}")

```

This method elegantly combines the need for both the item and its position in a single, clean loop.

S/O Grok”

27. @MattMatthews121: “What did you get done this week?”

Brent Mayo: “I did a proton fasting kit with Kemp Conrad (@kempsuper9) and lost 18 (much needed LBs). 😂”

Andree Jacobson: “18 lbs in a week? Add that back in muscle by lifting GPU servers? ;)”

Brent Mayo: “Especially these new ones 😜”

28. @yag1968: “Will SpaceX have private lunar surface missions? When? After Artemis III?”

Brent Mayo: “I wouldn’t bet against it for sure but Mars is SpaceX goal.”

29. @winnmarkb: “I’ve always wondered what the xAI office looks like. Can you share a photo of the xAI office?”

xAI/X’s Andree Jacobson and xAI/SpaceX's Brent Mayo

Brent Mayo: “Literally our offices.”

30. @KyleCourtney80: “How does a person go about getting a tour of colossus. I’m in Memphis at the end of the month for a farm show and would love to see it!”

Brent Mayo: “Apply to xAI and be hired. 😂”

@KyleCourtney80: “🤣 if it wasn’t for the Farm my application would already be in.”

@AITechChick: “Do you recommend any online courses for regular people who just want to learn about Ai.”

Brent Mayo: “Ask Grok.”

31. @KaiserThaws: “Are you going to do the inference of Grok 3 in Memphis DC? If so, what percentage of the total GPUs will be dedicated to it?”

Brent Mayo: “That’s a Andree question but we make hour by hour determinations within the organization along with overall strategy to ensure we’re always on our game and the 🚀 is 👆.

Andree Jacobson: “Inference runs on the most suitable compute at the time. Undisclosed location. Demand dependent.”

32. @whylifeis4: “Will grok 3 have a subscription?"

Brent Mayo: “I don’t have an IQ high enough to answer that one. Do you think it should?”

@whylifeis4: “Maybe.”

33. @simplehumanhaha: "How ready is Grok 3 for go-live, Brent?"

Brent Mayo: "As with the rest of the world, we will soon see."

34. @JoseAlanis002: “Would you join doge?"

Brent Mayo: “I will do whatever is asked of me to ensure we leave this place (our 🌎 ) better than we found it. Also ensuring it aligns with the mission of xAI to be maximally truth seeking.

*sustainability point, we will be building a gray water plant in Memphis which is the world’s largest.”

35. @KaiserThaws: “Is Grok 3 already capable of finding new and unexpected solutions for building Starship? If not, what’s your best guess on the version that will be capable of doing so?”

Brent Mayo: “It’s not incapable of it I’m sure.”

36. @tastefulfuture: “If you were an ambitious 20 year old today, what would you work on?”

Brent Mayo: “Classic cars, relationships with close family/friends and become heavily skilled in something related to power generation.”

37. @edge_caze: “Will xAI be releasing Grok 3 score on ARC AGI as well?”

Brent Mayo: “Pass.”

38. @lolkeks5: “targeted release date for Grok 3? And will Grok 2 be made open-source like Elon promised?”

Brent Mayo: “In the words of Marshawn Lynch “I’m just here so I don’t get fined”…. As it relates to this question anyway. 😂”

Brent Mayo: “Alright was fun! Until next time. ✌️”

The End of the Session...

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That's it! If you get the chance, thank Brent for doing this. He goes out of his way to get us involved, which is a very special thing that most people in his position would never do or even consider. This is not just "transparency", it is how the people at Elon Musk's (@elonmusk) companies make you feel and realize you take part in changing the world.

Thanks, Brent!