The United States government has confirmed that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool, Grok, was used to support military operations against Iran
The disclosure emerged in a legal brief filed by the US Department of Justice, which was defending power infrastructure used by Musk’s AI company, xAI, against an environmental lawsuit. Prosecutors argued that the facilities were critical to national security because they support artificial intelligence systems used by the military.
According to sworn testimony cited in the filing, Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley stated that Grok is already being deployed within Project Maven, the military’s AI-assisted targeting programme. The initiative was previously powered by another AI model before the Pentagon expanded its use of xAI technology.
Stanley reportedly told the court that the AI system helped support operations in which more than 2,000 munitions were directed at 2,000 separate targets within a 96-hour period during military action involving Iran.
The revelation has intensified global debate over the growing use of artificial intelligence in military decision-making. Critics have raised concerns about transparency, accountability and the potential risks associated with AI-assisted warfare, particularly following reports of civilian casualties linked to recent conflicts.
The Pentagon had earlier announced plans to integrate Grok into its networks alongside other advanced AI systems. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously said the department intended to place “the world’s leading AI models” across classified and unclassified military networks.
Neither xAI nor Musk immediately commented on the latest disclosure. However, the court filing has brought renewed attention to the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by defence agencies and the ethical questions surrounding its use in combat operations.
