The United States government has said that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok was used in military operations related to Iran. This information was shared in a legal briefing seen by AFP on Tuesday. The report has raised serious discussion about how AI is being used in defense systems.
Elon Musk’s Grok AI Used in Iran Strikes, US Government Says in Legal Briefing
The claim is part of a legal case that is not only about military technology but also about environmental concerns linked to a large data center owned by Musk’s AI company xAI.
Legal Case and Data Center Dispute
The legal briefing was issued on June 15. It supports the use of gas turbines at xAI’s large data center. These turbines are being challenged in an environmental lawsuit.
The US Department of Justice said the case could affect national and energy security. It argued that stopping the power supply to this facility could harm AI systems that support defense operations. Officials said AI infrastructure is now closely linked with military and national security systems in the United States.
Grok AI in Military Operations
Court documents included statements from Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley. He said
is already being used in a military program called Project Maven. Project Maven is an AI system used by the US military to analyze images and help identify targets more quickly. It was earlier powered by another AI model from Anthropic.
The report claimed that during a military operation, AI systems helped the US forces act on more than 2,000 targets in just 96 hours. This shows how fast AI-based systems can support defense actions. Stanley also praised Grok’s performance, saying it improved efficiency in military operations through advanced AI tools. At the same time, xAI is facing a lawsuit from the NAACP, a civil rights organization. The group says the company is operating many gas turbines without proper permits.
The NAACP claims that these turbines are causing air pollution in mostly Black neighborhoods. They argue that this violates environmental laws. However, xAI has responded by saying the turbines are temporary and mobile. The company claims they do not fall under strict permit rules.
AI, Government Contracts, and Industry Shift
It should be noted that previously, the US government terminated contracts with AI firm Anthropic. It occurred due to the fact that the firm refused to allow their AI technologies to be involved in autonomous strikes and surveillance. Later, the Pentagon decided to collaborate with AI firms like Google, OpenAI, and xAI.
Still, the change mentioned above sparked debates within the tech sector. Namely, some employees from Google protested the involvement of AI in military actions, raising concerns regarding safety and ethics. Also, in March, the government reported that the old AI technologies were used in missions targeting Iran.
A friend and supporter of former United States President Donald Trump, Elon Musk merged his artificial intelligence company, xAI, with SpaceX in February. In addition to that, SpaceX underwent its own mega-IPO in June, making SpaceX one of the top-valued companies across the globe.
Here, the connection between AI, aerospace technologies, and defense systems becomes very clear. For instance, the present report demonstrates how today, artificial intelligence like Grok is being implemented by governments in military activities. Yet at the same time, it should be said that AI faces many legal, ecological, and ethical dilemmas. News source eTimes Pakistan.
