AsianFin -- xAI’s data annotation division, which plays a central role in training the company’s Grok artificial intelligence system, has been rocked by sweeping layoffs and leadership upheaval this month. The unexpected shake-up has left the team under the leadership of a 19-year-old college student who joined the company only eight months ago.

Diego Pasini, who graduated high school in 2023, assumed control of the team after at least nine senior staffers had their Slack accounts deactivated last week, according to a report by Business Insider. Shortly afterward, on September 12, the company dismissed more than 500 annotation staff, as tracked in internal Slack channels.

Pasini, who had been working as a data annotator before stepping into the leadership role, addressed the remaining team members in an all-hands meeting on September 15. According to three employees present, he assured workers there were no plans for further layoffs. However, just days later, more than 100 additional employees were let go, contradicting that message.

Since then, employees described a tense atmosphere as Pasini’s team conducted a series of rapid one-on-one interviews, asking remaining staff to justify their roles and responsibilities. Eleven current and former workers told Business Insiderthat employees were pressed to explain their contributions in detail, raising concerns about ongoing job security.