The US Department of Defense has confirmed plans to integrate Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk, into its internal networks, even as the tool faces growing international criticism over misuse and safety concerns.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that Grok will operate alongside generative AI systems developed by Google within the United States Department of Defense network. The move is part of a broader effort to feed large volumes of military data into advanced AI technologies currently under development.
Speaking at SpaceX facilities in southern Texas, Hegseth said the Pentagon aims to deploy leading AI models across both classified and unclassified defense networks in the near future. He added that Grok is expected to begin operating inside the department later this month, with selected military and intelligence data made available to support AI-driven analysis.
The announcement comes just days after Grok, which is integrated into Musk’s social media platform X, faced widespread criticism for generating non-consensual and sexually explicit deepfake images. In response, Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily blocked access to the chatbot, while the United Kingdom’s digital safety regulator opened an investigation. Grok’s developer also restricted image generation and editing features to paid subscribers only.
Hegseth’s strong push to rapidly adopt AI across the US military marks a shift from the more cautious approach taken under former president Joe Biden. While the previous administration encouraged federal agencies to explore AI use, it also warned against potential risks, including mass surveillance, cyberattacks and the deployment of autonomous lethal weapons.
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