Who Is Devendra Singh Chaplot? IIT Bombay Alum Joins xAI, Gets Elon Musk's Welcome

Indian AI researcher Devendra Singh Chaplot announces he is joining SpaceX and xAI to work with Elon Musk on advancing superintelligence.

Devendra Singh Chaplot will integrate robotics, AI, and large-scale computing, merging physical and digital intelligence.

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Devendra Singh Chaplot, Indian artificial intelligence researcher, has announced that he will join SpaceX and xAI to work directly with tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on developing advanced AI systems. The announcement was made on Saturday, March 14, through a post on the social media platform X. Chaplot revealed that his role will involve collaborating closely with Musk and research teams across both organizations to push forward efforts aimed at building superintelligence. He said the collaboration would focus on integrating “physical and digital intelligence,” bringing together robotics, artificial intelligence, and large-scale computing resources.

Chaplot's Collaboration With Musk 

In his post, Chaplot expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to work alongside Musk and his teams. He said the partnership between SpaceX and xAI provides a unique environment where cutting-edge hardware expertise can be combined with large-scale AI research infrastructure.

According to Chaplot, the collaboration could enable breakthroughs by bringing together advanced engineering capabilities with a culture that encourages experimentation and ambitious goals. He described the opportunity as a chance to work toward something “truly unique.”

I'm joining SpaceX and xAI, working closely with Elon and team to build superintelligence.

Together SpaceX and xAI combine physical and digital intelligence under a leader who understands hardware at the deepest level. Add a high-agency culture with frontier-scale resources, and… pic.twitter.com/tjaPUjGUwK

— Devendra Chaplot (@dchaplot) March 13, 2026

The move aligns with Musk’s broader vision of developing advanced artificial intelligence systems that merge software intelligence with real-world machines.

From Robotics Research To AI Development

Chaplot also reflected on the path that led him to this new role. Over the years, he has worked across several areas of artificial intelligence, including robotics, machine learning, and computer vision.

Most recently, he served as a research scientist at Mistral AI, where he contributed to the development of advanced AI models. Earlier in his career, he worked at Facebook AI Research (FAIR), focusing on research projects that explored the intersection of machine learning and robotics.

He described both experiences as influential in shaping his approach to building intelligent systems from the ground up.

Academic Background And Achievements

Chaplot began his academic journey at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where he studied computer science. He later earned a PhD in machine learning from Carnegie Mellon University, one of the world’s leading institutions for AI research, as per a report on Mint.

Throughout his career, Chaplot has contributed to several high-profile achievements in the field. His work helped secure victories in multiple global AI competitions, including the CVPR-2019 PointNav Challenge, the CVPR-2020 ObjectNav Challenge, and the NeurIPS-2022 Rearrangement Habitat Challenge. Earlier in his career, he also participated in the Visual Doom AI Competition in 2017.

His research has received recognition at major conferences, where it earned Best Paper and Best Demo awards. Chaplot is also a recipient of the prestigious Facebook Fellowship.

Industry Experience And Future Plans

Beyond academic and research roles, Chaplot gained industry experience while working at Samsung Electronics headquarters in South Korea. His research has been highlighted in leading technology publications such as MIT Technology Review, TechCrunch, and Popular Science. By joining SpaceX and xAI, Chaplot is positioning himself at the forefront of efforts to integrate robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced hardware systems.