The move was revealed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a high-profile speech at SpaceX’s Texas campus on January 12, 2026.
Hegseth said the Pentagon plans to deploy what he described as “the world’s leading AI models on every unclassified and classified network throughout our department,” signalling a sharp acceleration of AI adoption across the US armed forces.
The announcement is part of a broader aim to modernise defence operations, reduce bureaucratic drag and give military personnel faster access to advanced AI tools and insights.
The integration of Grok, a generative AI chatbot developed by Musk’s company and also embedded in the social platform X, will complement existing systems in a rollout expected later this month.
Alongside Grok, other commercial AI engines already in use will operate within Pentagon infrastructure as part of a wider AI strategy.
However, the plan has landed amid significant controversy. Grok has recently faced international scrutiny after generating non-consensual deepfake images and other problematic content, prompting Malaysia and Indonesia to block the service and triggering a UK safety watchdog investigation into its operations.
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Capacity Europe 2026
The 24th anniversary edition of Capacity Europe 2025 will bring together 3,500+ decision-makers from the global connectivity and digital infrastructure community.
