Elon Musk to Co-Lead Pentagon Project on AI, Future Weapons and Warfare

Elon Musk is returning to a formal government role after being appointed one of the co-leaders of a new Pentagon initiative examining the future of warfare and the technologies the United States military may need in coming years. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian on September 30 during a State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia.

Musk will co-lead the 120-day project alongside Palmer Luckey, founder of defense technology company Anduril, and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The group will work under Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael.

According to the Pentagon, Project Meridian will study the “battlefields of the future” and identify the weapons, technologies and capabilities that U.S. forces will need to operate in emerging combat environments. The study will examine developments in areas including artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, directed energy, robotics and biotechnology. It will also consider future operating environments ranging from underground locations to areas beyond the Moon.

The project is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the Defense Secretary within 120 days, with an unclassified report planned for public release alongside a classified annex. Musk’s involvement does not mean he will command U.S. troops or directly control military operations. Project Meridian is a Pentagon-led study intended to provide recommendations about future military capabilities.

The initiative comes alongside a broader Pentagon push to increase the use of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and robotics in warfare. Hegseth separately announced the creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command, a new military command intended to accelerate the development and deployment of autonomous and robotic capabilities across the U.S. armed forces.

Musk already has significant links to the U.S. national-security sector through SpaceX, which provides launch and satellite services to the U.S. government. Luckey’s Anduril is also a major defense technology contractor developing autonomous military systems and other defense technologies.

Project Meridian therefore represents Musk’s return to a formal government advisory role after his previous involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. The Pentagon says the broader objective is to anticipate how advances in technology will change warfare and ensure the United States can develop and deploy new capabilities rapidly as those changes occur.