Hegseth Slams Risk-Averse Defense Culture in Starbase Visit (1)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethlamented the defense industry’s “risk-averse culture” and praised Elon Musk during a visit to the SpaceX Starbase launch site, offering fresh evidence that the billionaire is back in the White House’s good graces after a dramatic falling out last year.

Hegseth announced several plans meant to speed innovation and slammed what he called “woke” artificial intelligence. He confirmed the Defense Department’s plan to integrate Musk’s Grok AI platform into its system despite a global backlash over the model allowing users to create sexualized images of people including children without their consent.

The Pentagon chief’s criticism of ...