Elon Musk’s advanced AI tool Grok has been actively used by the United States military in strikes against Iran, according to a new revelation from the US government. The Pentagon’s AI chief confirmed under oath that Grok is now integrated into Project Maven, the military’s key AI-assisted targeting programme.
This disclosure came in a legal brief filed on June 15 defending xAI’s data centre operations. The US Department of Justice argued that shutting down power to these facilities would harm national security, economic stability, and military operations. They highlighted how Grok has dramatically improved efficiency in targeting systems.
Pentagon official Cameron Stanley stated that the Maven Smart Systems, now powered by the Grok Gov Model, enabled US forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions to 2,000 distinct targets within just 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury. This marks a significant shift after the military ended its contract with Anthropic’s Claude model, which refused to support fully automated strikes.
The news arrives amid an environmental lawsuit by the NAACP against xAI. The civil rights group claims that gas turbines at xAI’s massive data centre are polluting majority Black neighborhoods in violation of the Clean Air Act. xAI maintains that the turbines are temporary and mobile, thus not requiring full permits.
This development reflects the growing role of private AI companies in US defense. After Anthropic’s exit, the Pentagon turned to competitors including Google, OpenAI, and xAI. While some tech employees at Google have protested military AI use, Musk’s close alliance with President Donald Trump has strengthened xAI’s position. The company was recently integrated into SpaceX, which completed a record-breaking IPO.
The use of Grok in real military operations against Iran has sparked fresh debates about the ethics of AI in warfare, potential civilian impacts, and the rapid militarization of artificial intelligence. As tensions in the region continue, this partnership between xAI and the US Department of Defense places Musk’s technology at the center of modern conflict.
