SpaceX enters $100 million Pentagon contest to develop voice-controlled drone swarms

SpaceX to Compete in Pentagon Contest for Autonomous Drone Tech

The effort is set to develop in phases, starting with developing software and progressing to real-life testing, with the goal of creating technology that can be used for offensive purposes. Elon Musk's SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The entry of the two Musk companies -- which he announced in early February would merge - into a new frontier of AI-enabled weapons development marks a new and potentially controversial departure for Musk. While SpaceX is a well-established defense contractor and Musk is enthusiastic about advancing AI, he is among those who have also previously argued against making "new tools for killing people." Musk's companies are among only a handful that were selected to compete on the $100 million prize challenge launched in January, according to people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive topics. SpaceX and xAI's involvement hasn't previously been reported. SpaceX and xAI didn't respond to requests for comment. The six-month competition aims to produce advanced swarming technology that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and run multiple drones. While it's already possible to fly multiple drones at once, developing the software to direct multiple drones on sea and in the air as a swarm -- which can move autonomously in pursuit of a target -- remains a challenge. The contest will progress in phases, depending on the success and interest of the participants, the people said. The Pentagon competition was launched jointly by the Defense Innovation Unit, which is devoted to bringing in Silicon Valley startups, and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group -- a new element launched under the second Trump administration that is part of US Special Operations Command. DAWG is partly continuing the work of the Biden-era Replicator intitiative, which sought to produce multiple thousands of expendable autonomous drones. DIU didn't respond to a request for comment. Special Operations Command, which runs DAWG, declined to comment. The effort is set to develop in five phases, starting with developing software and progressing to real-life testing. A defense official indicated in the January announcement of the contest that the drones will be used for offensive purposes, saying the human-machine interaction "will directly impact the lethality and effectiveness of these systems." Security Clearances xAI has recently embarked on a hiring spree to recruit engineers out of Washington or the West Coast with active US security clearance at the "secret" or "top secret" levels to work with federal contractors, according to the company's website. It's looking for software engineers who are used to working with "government agencies, DoD, or federal contractors on AI, software or data projects," it said in a job posting, adding the hiring process would be complete within a week. The company has already signed contracts with the Pentagon to integrate its Grok chatbot into the government sites to "empower military and civilians," xAI said in December. It had previously secured a $200 million contract with the Pentagon to integrate xAI into military systems. Although SpaceX is a longtime defense contractor, the company has focused on making reusable space rockets and satellites for space exploration, military communications and intelligence systems, rather than software for offensive weapons. SpaceX, along with Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., are the US's providers of rockets for launching the Pentagon's most sensitive satellites. Musk has previously argued for a ban on offensive autonomous weapons that can select and engage their own targets and operate beyond meaningful human control. In 2015, Musk signed on to an open letter from AI and robotics researchers that warned against the perils of autonomous weaponry. xAI, which Musk started in 2023, owns Musk's AI startup, the social network X and the Grok chatbot. The company, which just weeks ago agreed to merge with SpaceX in a deal valued at $1.25 trillion, is saddled with billions of dollars in debt, besieged by well-funded rivals and faces mounting regulatory scrutiny after its chatbot spread sexualized images. It also brings in scant revenue compared to SpaceX. When the two agreed to merge, a statement from Musk on the SpaceX website said the company had acquired xAI to "form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech platform." Musk said nothing about combining the two companies to deliver AI to provide software to underpin novel weapons technology. But the new Pentagon undertaking, which will involve engineers and managers from both xAI and SpaceX, will push to do just that. The first phase of the competition would focus only on software development, before using live platforms later. The software is intended to coordinate drone movements across multiple domains, such as by air and sea, according to a Pentagon description of the task. Later stages call for developing "target-related awareness and sharing" and ultimately "launch to termination." xAI isn't the only advanced AI company working on the new Pentagon effort. OpenAI is supporting a successful submission from Applied Intuition, Bloomberg previously reported, citing the submission bid and people familiar with the matter. OpenAI will limit its contribution to the project solely to the "mission control" element that will convert voice and other instructions from battlefield commanders into digital instructions, according to the submission document reviewed by Bloomberg. OpenAI's technology wouldn't be used for the operation of the drone swarm, weapons integration or targeting authority, Bloomberg previously reported. A spokesperson for OpenAI said the company's open-source technology was included in contest bids from two different existing partner companies and that OpenAI would ensure any use of its tools is consistent with its usage policy. SpaceX and xAI are, by contrast, expected to work on the entire project together, according to people familiar with the matter. The prospect of integrating chatbots and voice-to-text commands in weapons platforms has alarmed even some defense officials, despite the Pentagon's eagerness to accelerate the adoption of AI and autonomy, according to several of the people. They said it would be important to limit generative AI to translation and not allow it to control drone behavior. Several of the people expressed concern about the risks if generative AI were used to translate voice into operational decisions without a human in the loop. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Get the Tech Newsletter bundle. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg's subscriber-only tech newsletters, and full access to all the articles they feature. Bloomberg may send me offers and promotions. Plus Signed UpPlus Sign UpPlus Sign Up By submitting my information, I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The move comes as employees at major labs have departed after voicing a range of other ethical concerns about the AI industry, even as leading generative AI companies push for revenue to support ongoing research and development. They include an OpenAI researcher who said she's concerned about ads in ChatGPT, and a researcher at Anthropic who publicly resigned, raising broader concerns about AI development. Large language models, which underpin chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, are prone to bias and so-called hallucinations -- meaning they can generate outputs that aren't anchored in reality but which the AI can present as reliable. The Pentagon's new AI Acceleration Strategy, released in January, seeks to "unleash" AI agents for the battlefield, from planning military campaigns to targeting, potentially involving lethal strikes. Defense contracts have historically been controversial inside consumer tech companies, including significant protests at Google in 2018 over the Pentagon effort named Project Maven that intended to use AI to analyze drone footage.

SpaceX to compete in Pentagon contest for autonomous drone tech, Bloomberg News reports

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX and its wholly-owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon's defense innovation unit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Texas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defense contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. It occurred ahead of SpaceX's planned initial public offering this year. Musk's companies are reportedly among a select few chosen to participate in the $100 million prize challenge initiated in January, according to the Bloomberg report. The six-month competition aims to produce advanced swarming technology that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and run multiple drones, the report said. Musk was among a group of AI and robotics researchers who wrote an open letter in 2015 that advocated a global ban on "offensive autonomous weapons," arguing against making "new tools for killing people." The U.S. Defense Secretary last year outlined a new strategy to accelerate drone development and deployment by aiming to cut bureaucracy and boost domestic drone manufacturing. The U.S. also has been seeking safe and cost-effective ways to neutralize drones, particularly around airports and large sporting events - a concern that has become more urgent ahead of the FIFA World Cup and America250 anniversary celebrations this summer. OpenAI, Alphabet's Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab, Anthropic and xAI last year won contracts that are worth up to $200 million each and aimed at scaling up adoption of advanced AI capabilities in the Pentagon. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Paul Simao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

SpaceX joins classified Pentagon bid for voice-controlled drone swarms

The contest, launched earlier this year and offering about $100 million in prizes, aims to develop technology that translates spoken commands into coordinated actions by multiple drones operating simultaneously. The six-month challenge reflects the US military's broader push to accelerate the adoption of autonomous systems and artificial intelligence across defense operations. If confirmed, participation would mark an expansion of SpaceX's role in defense technology beyond rockets, satellite launches, and communications systems. According to Bloomberg, the competition is organized by the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit and seeks software that can convert spoken instructions into digital commands to guide multiple drones simultaneously. Such systems could allow personnel without specialized piloting training to command drone swarms quickly in battlefield or emergency scenarios, an approach designed to improve human-machine coordination in complex operations. The Pentagon's growing focus on unmanned systems is driven partly by the rapid rise of low-cost drones in conflicts worldwide and their increasing use for surveillance, attacks, and smuggling. US officials have also emphasized domestic security concerns, including protecting airports and major public gatherings where unauthorized drones pose risks to aviation safety and crowds.

SpaceX Angling for Military Contract to Produce Drone Swarms

After years of opposing them, Musk is looking to develop killer drones. In 2017, Elon Musk signed an open letter calling on the United Nations to ban the development of autonomous weapons. "We do not have long to act," the letter read. "Once this Pandora's box is opened, it will be hard to close." In 2018, he signed a pledge by the Future of Life Institute, agreeing that "the decision to take a human life should never be delegated to a machine" and that "we will neither participate in nor support the development, manufacture, trade, or use of lethal autonomous weapons." But the draw of big government contracts to do exactly what he opposed back then has seemingly become too lucrative to remain ethically consistent. As Bloomberg reports, SpaceX and xAI, the latter of which was recently folded into the former, are now competing in a Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming tech. Inside sources told Bloomberg that the Pentagon's contest has a $100 million prize and was launched last month. The goal is to develop a drone swarm that can respond to voice commands simultaneously. However, considering the current state of large language models, which continue to be plagued by hallucinations, it's no wonder experts have voiced concerns about using generative AI to command lethal drones. While coordinated movement of drones is already well-established tech, having a whole network of drones move autonomously at once in pursuit of a target has proven extremely difficult on the battlefield, per Bloomberg's sources. The effort is part of the Trump administration's Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG), and the Defense Innovation Unit, the Pentagon's arm dedicated to tapping Silicon Valley for cutting-edge tech. The goal is to progressively develop the concept from software to real-life testing across five separate phases. According to Bloomberg's sources, the drones won't just be used for reconnaissance, implying they will also serve offensive purposes. The human-machine interaction "will directly impact the lethality and effectiveness of these systems." That's a considerable departure for SpaceX, which has previously inked government contracts for access to space and military satellites, but not weapons systems. Musk's xAI signed a $200 million contract with the US military for the use of its Grok chatbot and has been looking to hire engineers with security clearance. The news comes ahead of a rumored SpaceX IPO at a record-crushing valuation of $1.25 trillion. How investors will react to Musk reversing his stance on the use of autonomous weapons systems remains to be seen. Musk claimed earlier this month that SpaceX would "form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech platform," following the company's merger with xAI. The CEO, however, made no mention of his companies' efforts to develop drone swarms.

Musk in secret Pentagon race to develop killer AI drone swarms

Washington | Elon Musk's SpaceX and wholly owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secretive new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, according to people familiar with the matter. The entry of the two Musk companies -- which he announced in early February would merge - into a new frontier of AI-enabled weapons development marks a new and potentially controversial departure for Musk. While SpaceX is a well-established defence contractor and Musk is enthusiastic about advancing AI, he is among those who have also previously argued against making "new tools for killing people".

Elon Musk Warned of a 'Military AI Arms Race.' Now SpaceX and xAI Are Bidding to Power One

SpaceX and xAI are competing to make voice control for killer drones. The Elon Musk-led aerospace giant and its subsidiary are reportedly entering a $100 million competition to design technology that allows a single person to control a swarm of drones through voice prompts. The news of their involvement was first reported by Bloomberg. The development comes two weeks after SpaceX acquired Musk's AI venture, xAI, amid reports the aerospace giant could be headed toward a summer IPO. Bloomberg noted that Musk in 2015 endorsed an open letter opposing a "military AI arms race." "There are many ways in which AI can make battlefields safer for humans, especially civilians, without creating new tools for killing people," the letter reads.

SpaceX to compete in Pentagon contest for autonomous drone tech: Report

Texas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defense contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. It occurred ahead of SpaceX's planned initial public offering this year. Elon Musk's SpaceX and its wholly-owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon's defense innovation unit did not immediately respond to requests ⁠for comment. ⁠Reuters could not independently verify the report. Texas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defense contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. It occurred ahead of SpaceX's planned initial public offering this year. Musk's companies are reportedly among a select few chosen to participate in ⁠the $100 million prize challenge initiated in January, according to the Bloomberg report. The six-month competition aims to produce advanced swarming technology ⁠that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and run multiple drones, the report said. Musk was among a group of AI and robotics researchers who wrote an open letter in 2015 that advocated a global ban on "offensive autonomous weapons," arguing against making "new tools for killing people." The U.S. Defense Secretary last year outlined a new strategy to accelerate drone development and deployment by aiming to cut bureaucracy and boost domestic drone manufacturing. The U.S. also has been seeking safe and ⁠cost-effective ways to neutralize drones, particularly around airports and large sporting events - a concern that has become more urgent ahead of the FIFA World Cup and America250 anniversary celebrations this summer. OpenAI, Alphabet's Google, Anthropic and xAI last year won contracts that are worth up to $200 million each and aimed at scaling up adoption of advanced AI capabilities in the Pentagon.

SpaceX Competes In Secret Pentagon Challenge To Build Voice-Controlled AI Drone Swarms: Report

Elon Musk's space venture SpaceX has reportedly joined a secret Pentagon competition. AI Drone Swarms At The Center Of $100M Pentagon Challenge SpaceX and its newly acquired AI subsidiary xAI are among a small group selected for a $100 million Defense Department prize challenge launched in January, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The six-month-long contest seeks advanced swarm systems capable of translating voice commands into digital instructions and coordinating multiple drones simultaneously. SpaceX and xAI did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. Musk's Expanding AI And Defense Footprint The reported participation comes after SpaceX acquired xAI in February. This development came amid rumors that SpaceX could go public in 2026. During the same time, Democratic senators asked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to investigate SpaceX's alleged Chinsese investments. Musk was among AI and robotics researchers who signed an open letter calling for a global ban on offensive autonomous weapons. Meanwhile, last year, Hegseth outlined a strategy to speed up drone development. The strategy included reducing bureaucracy and promoting domestic drone manufacturing. Photo Courtesy: Wirestock Creators on Shutterstock.com Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

SpaceX to compete in Pentagon contest for autonomous drone tech:...

Elon Musk's SpaceX and its xAI subsidiary are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon's defense innovation unit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Texas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defense contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. It occurred ahead of SpaceX's planned initial public offering this year. Musk's companies are reportedly among a select few chosen to participate in the $100 million prize challenge initiated in January, according to Bloomberg. The six-month competition aims to produce advanced swarming technology that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and run multiple drones, the report said. Musk was among a group of AI and robotics researchers who wrote an open letter in 2015 that advocated a global ban on "offensive autonomous weapons," arguing against making "new tools for killing people." US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year outlined a new strategy to accelerate drone development and deployment by aiming to cut bureaucracy and boost domestic drone manufacturing. The US also has been seeking safe and cost-effective ways to neutralize drones, particularly around airports and large sporting events -- a concern that has become more urgent ahead of the FIFA World Cup and America250 anniversary celebrations this summer. OpenAI, Alphabet's Google, Anthropic and xAI last year won contracts that are worth up to $200 million each and aimed at scaling up adoption of advanced AI capabilities in the Pentagon.