Elon Musk fuses SpaceX with xAI
Acquiring xAI could boost SpaceX’s plans to launch a one-million-strong satellite constellation to act as an orbital data center network
Kevin Lamarque /Pool/Getty Images
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has acquired xAI, the artificial intelligence start-up behind the chatbot Grok that is also owned by the tech billionaire. The move consolidates several of Musk’s major ventures, bringing his rockets, social media company X, Grok and SpaceX’s satellite Internet subsidiary Starlink under a single umbrella.
The merger could boost Musk’s plans to power next-generation AI from space using an orbital data center made up of as many as one million satellites. It also catapults the worth of the combined entity to a reported $1.25 trillion.
“Current advances in AI are dependent on large terrestrial data centers, which require immense amounts of power and cooling,” read a memo that was signed by Musk and posted to SpaceX’s website on Monday. “Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment.”
On supporting science journalism
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
The memo touted SpaceX’s still in development Starship, which, Musk has claimed, will one day enable hourly launches, each carrying as much as 200 tons of material into orbit. But Starship’s ability to launch satellites into orbit is largely unproven, and the spacecraft’s development is behind schedule. And it remains unclear what form SpaceX’s proposed satellites would take.
Regardless of how SpaceX plans to launch and operate its orbital data center network—the firm has offered scant details—the idea has a grand advantage over Earth-based facilities: the abundance of solar energy. “It’s always sunny in space!” Musk wrote.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.