SpaceX has announced that it has acquired Artificial Intelligence startup xAI in a deal that merges two companies owned by Elon Musk.
In a statement, Musk said the deal would create "the most ambitious and vertically integrated engine of innovation on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct communications on mobile devices, and the world's largest platform for real-time information and free speech."
The world's richest man, who also owns Tesla, social media platform X and satellite communications company Starlink, said the combination would aim to develop AI data centers in space and called the move "not just the next chapter, but the next book in the mission of SpaceX and xAI," foreign media wrote, according to Telegraph.
X, formerly Twitter, was acquired by xAI last year. Musk bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion.
The "joint" company would have a valuation of $1.25 trillion (about 1.06 trillion euros), according to Bloomberg, and the deal comes ahead of SpaceX's anticipated initial public offering, expected to be announced later this year.
SpaceX isn't the only company exploring the idea of placing AI data centers in space.
Google last year unveiled a new research project called Project Suncatcher that would equip solar-powered satellites with AI computer chips.
SpaceX's acquisition of xAI comes weeks after X was criticized following complaints that users were using the platform's AI chatbot, Grok, to take sexualized photos of real women and children.
This prompted an investigation by the UK's independent online safety watchdog, Ofcom, and calls from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the platform to comply with UK laws "immediately". /Telegrafi/
