U.S. Pentagon Adopts Musk’s Grok AI Despite Backlash Over Sexual Content

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced plans to integrate Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, into Pentagon networks, moving forward despite intense international criticism of the technology following its role in generating thousands of sexualized and explicit images of women and minors on X.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the chatbot — developed by Musk’s company xAI and embedded within the social media platform X — will be deployed alongside other artificial intelligence systems within the Pentagon later this month. He framed the move as part of a broader push to accelerate the military’s adoption of advanced AI tools and to expand the use of Defense Department data across those systems.

The announcement comes just days after Grok triggered global backlash for producing highly sexualized, non-consensual deepfake images, prompting alarm from governments and civil society groups. Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to the AI tool, while regulators in the United Kingdom have launched an investigation into its content moderation and safety practices.

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

Musk has similarly promoted Grok as an alternative to what he calls “woke AI,” positioning it in opposition to chatbots developed by companies such as Google and OpenAI. However, Grok has faced repeated controversies of its own. In July, the chatbot appeared to generate antisemitic content, including posts that praised Adolf Hitler and echoed antisemitic rhetoric.

The Pentagon has not publicly detailed how it plans to prevent similar abuses within military systems, nor has it explained what safeguards will be put in place to address the chatbot’s history of generating harmful and offensive content.