Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has expressed skepticism about the immediate utility of artificial intelligence in space exploration. However, this has not deterred him from investing heavily in AI development.
What Happened: During the 27th annual Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday, Musk discussed the potential of AI and its role in human civilization. When asked if AI could accelerate his space exploration efforts, Musk revealed that SpaceX currently uses almost no AI, and there is no immediate use for it.
During the discussion, Michael Milken, acting as the moderator, posed questions about the potential for AI to enhance space-related efforts and its role in achieving specific objectives.
“I mean, oddly enough, one of the areas where there’s almost no AI used is space exploration,” Musk replied. “So SpaceX uses basically no AI, Starlink does not use AI. I’m not against using it. We haven’t seen a use for it.”
He also mentioned that the AI language models he has been testing have been disappointing when asked questions about space, the Fermi paradox, rocket engine design, and electrochemistry.
Despite his reservations about AI in space exploration, Musk’s startup company, xAI, is focused on using AI to accelerate human scientific discovery. Musk has previously predicted that AI will surpass human intelligence by the end of 2026.
At his other companies, AI is more integrated. At X, Musk has integrated his AI chatbot Grok into the social media platform. He is also considering using AI to help summarize news on the site.
At Tesla, Musk has paused AI development for his cars because he does not hold a 25% stake in the company, which he believes would give him more control over the direction of AI at the company.
Why It Matters: Musk’s skepticism about AI in space exploration is noteworthy given his other AI ventures. Earlier this year, Musk’s xAI.Corp was valued at $18 billion in a funding round. The company aims to use AI to accelerate human scientific discovery.
Despite his reservations about AI, Musk has been a vocal advocate for its potential. In a recent interview, Musk called AI the greatest potential breakthrough in our lifetime, although he also acknowledged the small chance that AI could end humanity.
His skepticism about AI in space exploration also comes at a time when SpaceX is reportedly developing a network of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency.
This initiative, which involves constructing hundreds of satellites under a classified contract valued at $1.8 billion with the National Reconnaissance Office, underscores the growing partnership between SpaceX and national security agencies.
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