Elon Musk's SpaceX and its wholly-owned subsidiary xAI are competing in a secret new Pentagon contest to produce voice-controlled, autonomous drone swarming technology, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. SpaceX, xAI and the Pentagon's defense innovation unit did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ADVERTISEMENTTexas-based SpaceX recently acquired xAI in a deal that combined Musk's major space and defense contractor with the billionaire entrepreneur's artificial intelligence startup. The six-month competition aims to produce advanced swarming technology that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and run multiple drones, the report said. The US Defense Secretary last year outlined a new strategy to accelerate drone development and deployment by aiming to cut bureaucracy and boost domestic drone manufacturing.

Source: The Telegraph February 17, 2026 06:51 UTC