An engineer at xAI sparked discussion online after sharing details about an intense work schedule shortly after joining the artificial intelligence startup.

The post highlighted the demanding pace inside the company as employees race to build large-scale AI systems.

Giri Kuncoro at xAI described completing an extremely long workday at the company and posted the experience on X.

“It’s 5:30 am. Just closed my laptop after 19 hours of work today — my longest at @xAI so far. I’ve never felt more alive,” Kuncoro posted.

The message quickly drew attention from users discussing the culture surrounding high-growth AI firms.

Elon Musk’s Extreme Work Ethic

Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has always been known for his extreme work ethic.

Over the years, he’s repeatedly said that long hours and intense dedication are central to his success. His approach is simple: The more time you put in, the more you get out.

“You need to work super hard,” Musk told graduates during a 2014 commencement speech at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. 

Getting back to Kuncoro’s viral posts, the engineer wrote the experience marked his longest work session since joining the company.

The comment captured the intensity surrounding the development of artificial intelligence technologies. Many startups in the sector push rapid deployment cycles and aggressive timelines.

Kuncoro’s Early Days At xAI

Kuncoro had previously shared his excitement after joining the company earlier this year. His earlier message described an energetic first day alongside teammates.

“I joined @xAI today, helping with Kubernetes and production systems,” he wrote on Jan. 13.

“It’s 9pm at the office on my first day, still pairing with my teammates. Love the high energy and intensity! Looking forward to building many great things in this rocketship.”

AI Industry Culture Under Spotlight

One in three employees feels that the pace of work in today’s world has become impossible to keep up with, new research by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) found.

In its 2025 Work Trend Index Annual Report, Microsoft charts the emergence of what it calls a “Frontier Firm,” or a company that’s “redesigning business processes around AI and agents to scale rapidly, operate with agility, and generate value faster than traditional companies.” 

The discussion around long work hours has become common across the technology sector.

Companies building large-scale AI models require continuous improvements in computing infrastructure, deployment pipelines and reliability tools. Engineers responsible for production systems frequently manage those demanding workloads.

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