(MENAFN- Live Mint) A post by an employee at xAI - the artificial intelligence company led by Elon Musk - has triggered a conversation around work culture in Big Tech. On November 28, Parsa Tajik, a member of the technical staff at xAI, shared that he had worked for nearly 36 hours non-stop.

“Last night I left the @xai office after ~36 hours of working with no sleep. Although I was dead, I was also super energised. Incredibly grateful to be a part of this team. Happy Thanksgiving!” he wrote on X.

The post instantly sparked backlash online, with users calling it an unhealthy sign of hustle culture and an unsustainable workplace ethic.

xAI leader steps in

Responding to the viral discussion, Ayush Jaiswal - who works on the Grok team at xAI and is of Indian origin - reacted with a tongue-in-cheek endorsement of the grind.

“Work life balance is great, in-fact we recommend it to all our competitors,” Jaiswal posted, adding a follow-up line seemingly aimed at critics:“Don't be angry with this post. You're free to disagree & let us cook.”

The comment drew mixed reactions, with many pointing out the growing concerns around burnout in the tech industry.

Meanwhile, Ayush Jaiswal, previously shared his impression of the company's work culture. In an earlier post on X, he described the Palo Alto office as high-intensity but free from toxicity or office politics.

Jaiswal had said that the environment carried“an incredible amount of intensity” while maintaining“zero toxicity or politics,” calling it a uniquely positive atmosphere in Silicon Valley.

A familiar punchline

Jaiswal's quip also echoed a widely-circulated remark from Zepto co-founder Aadit Palicha. In 2024, Palicha joked that he fully supports work-life balance -“especially for the competition”. He later admitted on a podcast that the post was a“stupid idea” in hindsight.

The exchange at xAI has once again put the spotlight on Silicon Valley's intense work culture - and how proudly sharing extreme working hours continues to divide the internet.

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