STORY: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday (January 12) announced the integration of Elon Musk's XAI platform, Grok, into military networks as part of a new "AI acceleration strategy" during a visit to SpaceX.

Hegseth cited the partnership as key to maintaining America's technological edge.

"In modern warfare, the fastest innovator will be the winner, and no one can out-innovate an American entrepreneur freed from the constraints of stifling bureaucracy," Hegseth said during an event at SpaceX.

The defense chief also emphasized the role of AI in securing America's future, stating, "The stakes could not be higher."

Musk, speaking at the event, shared his vision of pushing beyond current boundaries, stating, "One day science fiction turns to science fact."

Hegseth highlighted the collaboration as a testament to the unique strengths of U.S. entrepreneurs and technology in securing the nation's future advantage.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH AND SPACEX CEO ELON MUSK AT SPACEX

MUSK GIVING SPEECH, HEGSETH GIVING SPEECH

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE STORY

SHOWS: BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 12, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. SPACEX CEO ELON MUSK WALKING TOWARDS STAGE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPACEX CEO ELON MUSK, SAYING:

"It's not always science fiction, but one day the science fiction turns to science fact and we have spaceships going through space, big spaceships with people going to other planets, going to the moon, and ultimately going beyond our star system to other star systems where we may meet aliens. Or discover long-dead alien civilizations. I don't know, but we want to go."

3. U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH WALKING TOWARDS STAGE

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"Winning requires a new playbook. Elon wrote it with his algorithm. Question every requirement, delete the dumb ones, and accelerate like hell. That's why I want to make clear across the War Department and for our partners in the private sector that our Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering, Emil Michael, right here in the front row, is the War Department's single Chief Technology Officer, one CTO for the entire enterprise. Novel concept. As the sole CTO, Emil will set the technical direction, lead the innovation ecosystem that will welcome progress from anywhere it resides. And he'll tell me, face-to-face, every day and frankly, whether we are gaining or losing the technology and innovation competition. He'll have the decision authority and will lead through rigorous evaluation with a focus on real, measurable outcomes."

5. WHITE FLASH

6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"In modern warfare, the fastest innovator, an iterator will be the winner and no one can out-innovate an American entrepreneur who has been liberated from the constraints of stifling bureaucracy. That old era ends today."

7. WHITE FLASH

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

'We're excited to announce the next Frontier AI model company to join GenAI.mil and that is Grok from XAI, which will go live later this month. So I want to thank you, Elon, and your incredible team for leaning forward with us on this as well. Very soon we will have the world's leading AI models on every unclassified and classified network throughout our department. Long overdue. To further that, today at my direction, we're executing an AI acceleration strategy that will extend our lead in military AI established during President Trump's first term. This strategy will unleash experimentation, eliminate bureaucratic barriers, focus on investments, and demonstrate the execution approach needed to ensure we lead in military AI and that it grows more dominant into the future."

9. WHITE FLASH

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENCE, PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"We are preparing to win the future because we know, and you know, for the free world, for the West, the stakes could not be higher. Before this administration, our adversaries may have thought they finally broke American power. They're wrong. They do not have our entrepreneurs. They do not have our capital markets. They do not have our combat-proven operational data from two decades of military and intelligence operations. They do not have our hard-won classified technologies. They do not have the ingenuity and tenacity of American warfighters who refuse to lose. They don't have a military that can go thirty-seven hours to downtown Tehran or downtown Caracas without being seen in the process."

11. HEGSETH ON STAGE