Tesla and xAI founder Elon Musk has unveiled a new company, Macrohard, aimed at disrupting Microsoft’s dominance in the software industry. While the name is tongue-in-cheek, Musk insists the project is “very real,” confirming it in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The company will focus on using AI to replicate — and potentially replace — traditional software functions.
Patent Filing Confirms Macrohard’s Scope
According to media reports, Musk’s xAI filed for a Macrohard trademark at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on August 1. The application describes a wide range of AI-driven services, including:
- Downloadable software for AI-generated speech and text
- AI tools for coding, designing, and running video games
- Systems for image, video, and language understanding
This suggests Macrohard is envisioned as an AI-first ecosystem that could challenge Microsoft across productivity, gaming, and development platforms.
AI Agents as the Core of Macrohard
Musk had hinted at the project weeks earlier, teasing that xAI’s new venture would deploy “hundreds of specialized coding and image/video generation/understanding agents”. These AI agents would emulate human interactions in virtual environments until software outputs were refined to excellence.
Calling it a “macro challenge and a hard problem,” Musk had invited his followers to guess the company’s name — foreshadowing the official reveal.
Musk vs. Microsoft: A Complex Rivalry
The launch of Macrohard adds another chapter to Musk’s tense relationship with Microsoft. While Musk has criticized Microsoft for leaning heavily on OpenAI’s technology, he has also collaborated with the company — most recently allowing Grok 3 models to run on Azure AI.
Musk has also taken shots at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, warning that OpenAI could eventually “eat Microsoft alive.” Despite this, Nadella has maintained a diplomatic stance, emphasizing collaboration in the AI space.
What’s Next for Macrohard?
While details remain limited, Musk has been positioning Grok 4 and Grok 5 as strong competitors to OpenAI’s models, claiming they outperform existing solutions. Macrohard may act as the commercial face of this ambition, giving xAI a platform to challenge Microsoft’s Copilot ecosystem head-on.
If Musk succeeds, Macrohard could emerge as a disruptive force in the AI-software landscape, shaking up the decades-long dominance of Microsoft.
