SpaceX acquires xAI. Together, the two companies must realize Elon Musk’s megalomaniacal vision: bringing AI to space, and beyond.
Elon Musk is playing a game of chess with his companies. In a press release, signed by Musk personally, SpaceX announces the acquisition of xAI. According to Musk, the acquisition is ‘more than just another chapter’ in the mission of both organizations: ‘expanding the light of consciousness to the stars’.
In concrete terms, this means that Musk wants to build AI data centers in space. Then, of course, it is useful if you have a successful space company and a young AI company under your wing. The merger makes it easier to pool resources. xAI is responsible for Grok, the chatbot known for its racist statements and perverse deepfakes.
read also
European Commission raps Grok and X for sexually explicit deepfakes: “Unacceptable degradation”
Data centers in space
Musk is wasting no time in making that vision a reality. This year, SpaceX wants to launch Starlink V3 satellites into space, a much more powerful version than the current Starlink V2, according to Ars Technica. These more powerful satellites should form the backbone for the space data center network that Musk wants to build.
SpaceX has already submitted an official application to the FCC to launch one million ‘orbital data centers’. At that rate, according to Musk’s calculations, 100 gigawatts of data center capacity could be created in space every year. In the long term, he even wants to expand that to 1 TW per year. The data centers would float between 500 and 2,000 km above the earth. SpaceX’s satellite network already has 9,600 pieces today.
Musk is convinced that space data centers will inevitably become necessary in the future to satisfy the AI hunger on Earth. Operational costs are lower in space, the sun is literally closer for more sustainable energy, and there is more space to put data centers. Musk expects that within a maximum of three years, data centers in space will be the cheaper option.
Megalomanic vision
Do Musk’s plans already sound megalomaniacal? For Musk, they are just the beginning. He founded SpaceX in 2022 with one ultimate dream: to establish the first human colony on Mars. Although Musk’s plans are now closer to home, he has not yet let go of Mars.
In the press release, Musk is already dreaming aloud of a permanent settlement on the moon, in order to ‘enable operations on other worlds’ from there. With the support of data centers, satellites could be produced on the moon and shot further into space, until finally Mars comes within reach.