Key Points:
- SpaceX and xAI have joined a secret military competition.
- The contest aims to build voice-controlled drone swarms.
- The Pentagon is offering a $100 million prize pool.
- This follows SpaceX’s recent acquisition of AI startup xAI.
Elon Musk’s companies, SpaceX and its new subsidiary xAI, have reportedly entered a secretive Pentagon contest. The goal is to develop technology that allows a single person to control a swarm of drones using only their voice. Bloomberg News first reported the story on Monday, citing insiders familiar with the project. Neither the companies nor the Pentagon has officially commented on the report.
This move comes shortly after SpaceX acquired xAI. This deal merged Musk’s massive rocket and satellite business with his newer artificial intelligence startup. Investors are watching closely because SpaceX plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) later this year. By combining these forces, Musk appears ready to secure a larger portion of the national defense budget.
The competition is significant. The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit launched the challenge in January with a $100 million prize. The military wants software that can translate spoken commands into complex digital instructions. Ideally, this would allow commanders to direct multiple unmanned aircraft at once without needing a team of pilots.
Musk’s involvement creates a stark contrast to his previous public statements. Back in 2015, he signed an open letter along with other robotics experts calling for a global ban on “offensive autonomous weapons.” At the time, they argued that the world should not build new tools specifically designed for killing people. Now, his companies are competing to build systems that align closely with that concept.
The U.S. government is pushing hard to advance its drone warfare capabilities. Last year, the Defense Secretary announced a new strategy to cut red tape and increase domestic drone manufacturing. Officials are also worried about defense. With the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary celebration approaching this summer, the government urgently needs better ways to manage and neutralize drones near large crowds and airports.
Musk is not alone in this sector. Other tech giants like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are also deepening ties with the military. Last year, these companies won contracts worth up to $200 million each to help the Pentagon adopt advanced AI capabilities faster.
