Once opposed to autonomous weapons, now personally involved? Musk's company is reported to have bid for military projects.

The latest news shows that SpaceX and its wholly-owned subsidiary xAI, owned by Elon Musk, are participating in a highly confidential bid at the Pentagon to develop autonomous drone swarm technology with voice control. Sources revealed that Musk's companies are among the few selected enterprises for the $100 million prize "Challenge" initiated by the US Department of Defense in January. According to sources, this six-month challenge will progress in stages based on the performance and interest of the participants. The project will be divided into five stages, starting with software development and gradually moving into field testing. A US defense official hinted that these drones would be used for attack operations, stating that human-machine interaction "will directly affect the system's lethality and operational efficiency." Analysts believe that if the latest news is true, it would mean that Musk's companies are also venturing into the new frontier of developing AI weapons a significant shift for Musk, who has long been against "autonomous weapons." Earlier this month, Musk announced the integration of xAI into SpaceX to create "the most ambitious integrated innovation engine on Earth and beyond." At the time, he did not mention the use of weapons. According to xAI's official website, the company is currently hiring engineers with "confidential" or "top secret" security clearances, mainly from Washington or the US West Coast, to collaborate with federal contractors. In its recruitment notice, xAI stated that the company is looking for software engineers with experience in working on AI, software, or data projects in cooperation with government agencies, the Department of Defense, or federal contractors, stating that the recruitment process will be completed within a week. Last year, the General Services Administration of the United States announced a significant partnership with xAI to launch "Government version Grok." Earlier this year, US Defense Secretary Hegersea announced that xAI's chatbot Siasun Robot&Automation Grok would be integrated into the Pentagon's network. Although SpaceX has been a long-time defense contractor, its main focus has been on reusable rockets and satellites, not offensive weapons software. Musk has advocated for a ban on offensive autonomous weapons that can select and attack targets independently without effective human control. In 2015, he also signed an open letter initiated by AI and Siasun Robot&Automation researchers, warning about the risks of autonomous weapons. It is worth noting that xAI is not the only participant in the "Challenge," as OpenAI is also bidding for the project. However, OpenAI's role is limited to "task control," converting the voice or text commands of battlefield commanders into digital instructions, and will not be involved in drone operations, weapon integration, or target decisions. In comparison, SpaceX and xAI are expected to take on the development of the entire system. This article was reprinted from "Caixin," edited by GMTEight: Liu Jiayin.