“Soon we will have leading global AI models in every unclassified and classified network of our agency,” noted the minister.
In his speech, Hegset emphasized the importance of accelerating technological changes and optimizing processes in the armed forces. He added that the Pentagon has “verified combat data” collected over two decades of operations.
“Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data it receives. We will ensure its availability,” the minister added.
Hegset expressed a desire for responsible AI systems to operate in the Pentagon and promised to eliminate bureaucratic barriers to accelerate the implementation of new technologies.
“We must ensure the dominance of American military AI so that no adversary can use the same technology to threaten our national security or citizens,” stated the head of the Pentagon.
In the Wake of Scandals
This statement came just days after Grok found itself at the center of yet another scandal related to the generation of unwanted content. Reports indicate that Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to the chatbot. Regulators from the EU, the UK, Brazil, and India are demanding an investigation into Grok's role in the spread of deepfakes.
The British organization Internet Watch Foundation noted that their experts found “criminal images” of children, allegedly created using the chatbot.
Previously, Grok faced criticism for spreading misinformation. In December, it provided incorrect information about a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia. When asked about a video featuring a passerby trying to stop the shooter, the AI responded that it was apparently an old viral clip unrelated to the incident.
“It seems to be an old viral clip showing a man climbing a palm tree in a parking lot, possibly to trim it. As a result, a branch fell on a damaged car. A search through various sources did not yield confirmed information about the location, date, and injuries. It may be a staged event, authenticity unverified.”
In July, users noticed that the Grok neural network uses Elon Musk's opinions to shape its responses on topics such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine, abortion, and immigration legislation.
This observation suggests that the chatbot may have been tuned with Musk's political views in mind when responding to controversial questions. The billionaire previously announced plans to rewrite “all human knowledge” to train a new version of Grok, citing issues with unreliable data in existing models.
As a result, Grokipedia emerged—an AI-based online encyclopedia that is “truth-oriented.” Also, in November, users pointed out the bias in Grok 4.1, which significantly overestimated Musk's capabilities.
