SpaceX to compete in Pentagon contest for – Business News
Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its xAI subsidiary are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to provide voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people conversant in the matter.
SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon’s protection innovation unit didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the report.
Texas-based SpaceX lately acquired xAI in a deal that mixed Musk’s main space and protection contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur’s artificial intelligence startup. It occurred forward of SpaceX’s deliberate initial public offering this 12 months.
SpaceX and its xAI unit are competing to provide voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, AP
Musk’s corporations are reportedly amongst a choose few chosen to take part in the $100 million prize problem initiated in January, in line with Bloomberg.
The six-month competitors goals to provide superior swarming technology that may translate voice instructions into digital instructions and run a number of drones, the report stated.
Musk was amongst a group of AI and robotics researchers who wrote an open letter in 2015 that advocated a world ban on “offensive autonomous weapons,” arguing in opposition to making “new tools for killing people.”
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth final 12 months outlined a new strategy to speed up drone development and deployment by aiming to cut paperwork and enhance home drone manufacturing.
The US is searching for protected and cost-effective methods to neutralize drones. AP
The US additionally has been searching for protected and cost-effective methods to neutralize drones, significantly round airports and huge sporting occasions — a concern that has change into more pressing forward of the FIFA World Cup and America250 anniversary celebrations this summer time.
OpenAI, Alphabet’s Google, Anthropic and xAI final 12 months received contracts that are value up to $200 million every and geared toward scaling up adoption of superior AI capabilities in the Pentagon.
