In a significant move for technological integration, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, will collaborate with Google’s generative AI engine within the Pentagon’s network. This initiative is part of a larger strategy aimed at incorporating extensive military data into cutting-edge AI technologies.

Speaking at SpaceX in South Texas, Hegseth emphasized the transformative potential of this endeavor, stating, “Very soon we will have the world’s leading AI models on every unclassified and classified network throughout our department.” His remarks underscore a commitment to leveraging AI capabilities across the Defense Department’s complex infrastructure.

This development arrives amidst controversy surrounding Grok, which has faced backlash after generating inappropriate deepfake images without consent, sparking global concern. Countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have already imposed bans, and the U.K.’s online safety watchdog has launched an inquiry into the matter. Currently, Grok restricts its image generation and editing functions to its paying users.

Despite these challenges, Hegseth confirmed that Grok is slated to become operational within the Defense Department later this month. He pledged to make “all appropriate data” from military IT systems accessible for what he described as “AI exploitation,” including data from intelligence databases, to enhance AI systems’ capabilities.

Hegseth said Grok will go live inside the Defense Department later this month and announced that he would “make all appropriate data” from the military’s IT systems available for “AI exploitation.” He also said data from intelligence databases would be fed into AI systems.

Hegseth’s aggressive push to embrace the still-developing technology stands in contrast to the Biden administration, which, while pushing federal agencies to come up with policies and uses for AI, was also wary of misuse. Officials said rules were needed to ensure that the technology, which could be harnessed for mass surveillance, cyberattacks or even lethal autonomous devices, was being used responsibly.

The Biden administration enacted a framework in late 2024 that directed national security agencies to expand their use of the most advanced AI systems but prohibited certain uses, such as applications that would violate constitutionally protected civil rights or any system that would automate the deployment of nuclear weapons. It is unclear if those prohibitions are still in place under the Trump administration.

During his speech, Hegseth spoke of the need to streamline and speed up technological innovations within the military, saying, “We need innovation to come from anywhere and evolve with speed and purpose.”

He noted that the Pentagon possesses “combat-proven operational data from two decades of military and intelligence operations.”

“AI is only as good as the data that it receives, and we’re going to make sure that it’s there,” Hegseth said.

The defense secretary said he wants AI systems within the Pentagon to be responsible, though he went on to say he was shrugging off any AI models “that won’t allow you to fight wars.”

Hegseth said his vision for military AI systems means that they operate “without ideological constraints that limit lawful military applications,” before adding that the Pentagon’s “AI will not be woke.”

Musk developed and pitched Grok as an alternative to what he called “woke AI” interactions from rival chatbots like Google’s Gemini or OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In July, Grok also caused controversy after it appeared to make antisemitic comments that praised Adolf Hitler and shared several antisemitic posts.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to questions about the issues with Grok.