The Department of Defense has launched Project Meridian, an initiative described by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a study of future battlefields meant to identify weapons and technologies the military will need and propose ways to develop and field them. The effort will be led by Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich, none of whom have served in the US military.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-30
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian, a 120-day Pentagon initiative to identify future warfare capabilities and technologies. Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich will serve as co-leads under Pentagon technology chief Emil Michael, drawing on experts from government, industry, academia and policy circles. Hegseth said the project aims to determine which military domains and capabilities the U.S. must master, not to set new strategy or policy.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-30
SpaceXAI's Grokipedia, an AI-generated rival to Wikipedia, released a v0.3 update that overhauls its homepage with featured and most-read article sections, a redesigned live edits tracker, and a new logo. Article pages also received minor formatting tweaks, including cleaner fact tables and tighter text spacing. The update follows a period in which the site reportedly made no content changes for months after its late-October 2025 launch.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
During a press scrum following a meeting with tech executives including Jeff Bezos, Dario Amodei and Elon Musk, a reporter asked President Trump why he has called AI safety concerns a 'hoax.' White House staffers quickly ended the event and moved to clear reporters from the room as the question was asked.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-30
OpenAI launched a new AI agent called Dots on Tuesday, featuring a colorful blob-like avatar. Social media users quickly noticed that the domain 'dot.com' is owned by Elon Musk's xAI and redirects visitors to the download page for its Grok chatbot app, with Whois records showing the domain was transferred in July. OpenAI has not commented, and xAI has not responded to requests for clarification on why it acquired the domain.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-29
xAI's Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia, has begun updating and fact-checking articles again after reportedly stalling since April. The Verge found recent 'fact-checked by Grok' timestamps on pages like Barack Obama and Elon Musk, though other entries such as Honolulu still show scans from months ago. The site also appears to be processing user-submitted edit suggestions, including one about a video game release date that was accepted within minutes.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-29
SpaceX's 14th Starship test flight reached orbit for the first time on Monday, deploying 26 functioning Starlink satellites and completing a controlled splashdown of its Super Heavy booster. However, engine failures—one on the booster during ascent and descent, and one on the upper stage during ascent—forced SpaceX to cut the planned 10-hour, six-orbit mission short, returning the ship to Earth after about three hours before it exploded on Pacific splashdown.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-29
SpaceX's 14th Starship test flight on Monday reached stable orbit, deployed 26 V3 Starlink satellites, and completed a controlled splashdown in the Pacific despite a vacuum Raptor engine failure. Despite the largely successful mission, SpaceX's private stock fell about 2% on the day and remains below where it stood a week earlier, prompting confusion among investors on social media.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-29
Tesla has rescheduled the unveiling of its second-generation Roadster from October 1 to October 15, citing forecasts of severe weather in Waco, Texas. The company said the event must be held outdoors, and cited close monitoring with local meteorologists in deciding to delay.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-28
The New York City Council issued a subpoena to Elon Musk demanding testimony from him or another SpaceXAI representative at an Oct. 5 hearing before all 51 council members. The probe examines whether AI poses risks to public safety, cybersecurity, privacy and economic stability, following lawsuits alleging Grok was used to generate non-consensual deepfake pornography, including images of minors.
cnbc.com
· 2026-09-28
On its 14th test flight, SpaceX's Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time, despite one of its more than three dozen engines shutting down early. The uncrewed vehicle deployed 26 advanced Starlink satellites before mission controllers cut the planned 10-hour flight to three hours, and the craft splashed down in the Pacific north of Hawaii, tipping over and catching fire.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-28
SpaceX's Starship rocket achieved Earth orbit for the first time in a launch from South Texas, despite losing one of six Raptor engines on its upper stage shortly after separation. The company briefly called off the mission before resuming, and the Ship stage went on to deploy all 26 planned third-generation Starlink satellites. SpaceX is still deciding whether to complete a full set of orbits or bring the upper stage down early, while the Super Heavy booster successfully returned to the launch site.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-28