U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has raised fresh concerns over the Pentagon’s decision to involve xAI, Elon Musk’s AI firm, which was merged with SpaceX, in sensitive government operations. In a letter sent on Mar. 16, she questioned the risks tied to integrating the company’s Grok chatbot into classified systems.
Meet Samuel – Your Personal Investing Prophet
- Start a conversation with TipRanks’ trusted, data-backed investment intelligence
- Ask Samuel about stocks, your portfolio, or the market and get instant, personalized insights in seconds
Warren Questions Pentagon Over xAI Deal
In the letter, Warren addressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directly, raising concerns about how Grok had generated harmful and inappropriate outputs in the past. These included advice on how to commit violent acts, including terrorism, as well as antisemitic and explicit content, all of which she argued reflect weak safety measures.
She added that this apparent lack of adequate protection could create serious challenges if the system is introduced into classified settings. In her view, such vulnerabilities may compromise the cybersecurity of sensitive networks and pose risks to U.S. military personnel. This, in turn, raised questions about whether sufficient precautions are in place.
To address these concerns, Warren requested detailed information about the agreement between the Department of War (DoW) and xAI. She specifically asked for clarity on the company’s security protections, data-handling practices, and overall safety measures. She also pressed the department to explain how it plans to prevent cyberattacks and ensure that classified military information is not exposed or leaked.
Pentagon Moves Forward Amid AI Safety Concerns
Despite Warren’s warnings, a senior Pentagon official confirmed that Grok has been onboarded for use in classified settings, though it is not yet actively deployed. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the department looks forward to integrating Grok into its official AI platform, GenAI.mil, in the near future.
The decision comes after the Pentagon labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk when the AI firm declined to give the military unrestricted access to its systems. In response, the DoW signed agreements with OpenAI and xAI to allow their AI systems to operate within classified networks.
Public pressure has intensified, with a coalition of nonprofits urging the government to suspend Grok after it generated sexualized images from real photos of women and children. The same day, a class-action lawsuit was filed against xAI, alleging the AI produced sexual content using images of the plaintiffs as minors.
Which Big IPO is Coming Soon?
Following its merger, xAI is expected to go public with SpaceX in 2026. Among the top initial public offering (IPO) firms this year, SpaceX is one of the most highly anticipated, with an estimated valuation of $2 trillion. Other top private companies that have announced intentions to go public this year include OpenAI, Databricks, Anthropic, Canva, and others. Investors can find more information about these firms in TipRanks’ Private Company Center.
