Elon Musk launches AI-run Microsoft clone Macrohard: What is it?

“It’s a tongue-in-cheek name, but the project is very real!” Musk said in a post on X.

Musk further explained that given that software companies like Microsoft do not manufacture any physical hardware themselves, “it should be possible to simulate them entirely with AI.”

The new AI venture, which has been launched under his xAI initiative, can simulate an entire software company like Microsoft, Musk claimed.

Filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office show that xAI had applied for a trademark for the company ‘Macrohard’ on August 1. Macrohard will provide a wide range of AI-driven products and services. These will include downloadable computer software facilitating the artificial production of human speech to text, and a downloadable computer chatbot software to simulate conversations.

Musk has hinted at the launch of ‘Macrohard’ multiple times in the past, most recently in July, 2024. In a post on X on July 14, Musk had said xAI would create “a multi-agent AI software company” wherein Grok would spawn hundreds of “specialized coding and image/video generation/ understanding agents” all working together. Musk said that these agents could emulate humans who interact with the software in virtual machines till they achieve excellent results.

“This is a macro challenge and a hard problem with stiff competition! Can you guess the name of this company?” Musk asked.

However, the first time Musk announced the term to the world was four years ago. “Macrohard >> Microsoft” Musk posted on X, in a jibe to Microsoft. He then reshared the post in July 2024, when Microsoft faced a global outage, affecting people across the globe.

Macrohard appears to be closely linked to xAI’s Colossus 2 supercomputer project in Memphis, according to Teslarati.