Musk’s SpaceX and xAI enter secretive $100M Pentagon contest to build autonomous drone swarms

SpaceX and xAI are competing in a secretive Pentagon challenge to develop voice-controlled autonomous drone swarming technology. The move marked a controversial shift for Elon Musk, who previously warned against AI-enabled weapons, as his companies are reportedly building the entire offensive system rather than just translation tools. xAI began recruiting engineers with top-secret security clearances to support the initiative following its recent merger with the aerospace giant.