Elon Musk: AI, Drones, and Starlink Are Reshaping Warfare
NEW YORK — Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) and drones will define the future of warfare. His remarks were made in a newly released video of his conversation last summer at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
“The current war in Ukraine is very much a drone war already,” said Musk, 53, who also leads Tesla Inc. and the X social network, formerly Twitter. “If there’s a major power war, it’s very much going to be a drone war.”
Musk, who has grown increasingly influential in U.S. government affairs due to his close relationship with President Donald Trump, emphasized the need for increased domestic drone production. He spoke about these concerns during a fireside chat with Brigadier General Shane Reeves, the Military Academy’s Dean of the Academic Board, on August 16. He later shared a link to the 40-minute conversation on X late Thursday.
The billionaire, who frequently listens to military history audiobooks, warned against outdated strategic thinking. “Countries pretty much are geared up to fight the last war, not the next war,” he told an audience of armed forces personnel.
Musk’s West Point appearance came shortly before he became deeply involved in Trump’s re-election campaign. Since then, he has taken on a major role in Washington, leading efforts to restructure the federal government through his newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His teams have begun reviewing data systems and scrutinizing spending in several federal agencies.
As the head of SpaceX, Musk is a key figure in what President Dwight Eisenhower once called the military-industrial complex. SpaceX not only launches rockets for agencies like NASA but also operates Starlink, a satellite communication system available in over 100 countries.
“Starlink is the backbone of the Ukrainian military communications system because it can’t be blocked by the Russians,” Musk explained. “On the front lines, all the fiber connections are cut, the cell towers are blown up, the geostationary satellite links are jammed. The only thing that isn’t jammed is Starlink.”
Musk also shared his approach to problem-solving, which he calls his “first-principles algorithm.” His method for running his companies consists of four key steps: make the requirements “less dumb,” remove unnecessary parts or processes, optimize the system, and finally, “go faster.”
“Military procurement goes wrong right at the outset with excess requirements,” Musk stated, underscoring the need for streamlined defense innovation.
For the original article, visit: Bangkok Post.
