US Govt Reveals Elon Musk’s Grok AI Was Used in Military Strikes Against Iran
The United States government has disclosed that Grok, the artificial intelligence platform developed by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company xAI, was deployed in military operations linked to Iran.
The revelation emerged in a legal filing submitted by the US Department of Justice on June 15 as part of an ongoing court battle involving xAI’s large-scale data centre operations.
According to the filing, federal authorities argued that efforts to halt the operations of the company’s data infrastructure could undermine critical national interests. The government maintained that the facilities play a significant role in supporting artificial intelligence systems currently being used by the US military.
As part of its defence, the Justice Department presented testimony from Cameron Stanley, the Pentagon’s chief official overseeing artificial intelligence programmes.
Stanley stated under oath that Grok is now integrated into Project Maven, a military initiative that uses AI to assist in identifying and selecting targets during combat operations.
The programme, which was previously powered by Anthropic’s Claude AI model, has become a key component of the US military’s modern warfare strategy.
Court documents showed that Project Maven’s Maven Smart Systems was instrumental during Operation Epic Fury, a military campaign in which US forces reportedly deployed more than 2,000 munitions against approximately 2,000 targets within a period of 96 hours.
Stanley told the court that the adoption of Grok significantly improved operational performance and enhanced the speed of military decision-making. He specifically praised what he described as the effectiveness of the “Grok Gov Model,” noting that it delivered major efficiency gains for defence operations.
The disclosure comes amid a lawsuit filed against xAI by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a prominent American civil rights organisation.
The group alleges that xAI has been operating dozens of gas-powered turbines without the necessary environmental permits. According to the lawsuit, the turbines contribute to pollution in predominantly Black communities located near the company’s facilities.
However, xAI has rejected the allegations. The company argues that the turbines are temporary and mobile units, making them exempt from the regulations cited by the plaintiffs.
The legal battle has unexpectedly shed light on the growing role of artificial intelligence in modern military campaigns and the increasing partnership between technology firms and defence agencies.
The filing also revealed that the Pentagon shifted away from Anthropic earlier this year after disagreements over the use of AI in warfare. Reports indicate that Anthropic declined to permit its technology to be used for fully automated military strikes or for large-scale surveillance activities involving American citizens.
Following that decision, the US military reportedly expanded its engagement with other major AI developers, including Google, OpenAI and xAI.
The military’s adoption of artificial intelligence has sparked debate within the technology sector. Hundreds of Google employees previously opposed the company’s involvement in classified military projects, while experts have continued to raise concerns about the ethical and security implications of AI-powered warfare.
Despite these concerns, US defence agencies appear committed to increasing the use of artificial intelligence across military operations as global competition in advanced technology intensifies.
Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, merged xAI with SpaceX earlier this year, bringing his artificial intelligence and aerospace businesses under a broader corporate structure. The development further strengthens Musk’s influence across key sectors including defence technology, space exploration and artificial intelligence.
