Elon Musk merges xAI into SpaceX to spread universal consciousness via a sentient sun
- Reference: 1770080564
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/02/03/musk_spacex_xai_merge_hallucination_burning_man/
- Source link:
"This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars," Musk wrote in a bizarre [1]blog post published to SpaceX's website on Monday.
Musk argues that demand for AI cannot be satisfied with terrestrial resources, that building datacenters in space is therefore necessary as only limitless solar energy can power all the AI humans want to work with, and that SpaceX’s Starship can do the job of getting this all into orbit.
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"My estimate is that within two to three years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space," Musk contends in his post. "Long term space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale."
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Never mind that Starship has only completed test flights so far. Musk nonetheless contends that SpaceX will one day be capable of launching the rocket on an hourly schedule and carry a 200-ton payload on each flight.
"The basic math is that launching a million tons per year of satellites generating 100kW of compute power per ton will add 100 gigawatts of AI compute capacity annually, with no ongoing operational or maintenance needs. Ultimately, there is a path to launching a terawatt per year from Earth,” he wrote.
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Musk seems not to have noticed that computers fail and need human oversight.
[6]NASA decides to bring Crew-11 home early after astronaut health scare
[7]Starlink to lower orbits of thousands of satellites over safety concerns
[8]Space-power startup claims it can beam energy to solar farms
[9]Google imagines out of this world AI - running on orbital datacenters
But don't worry, Musk hasn't forgotten about his commitment to returning man to the Moon and [10]eventually Mars . From where else is he supposed to launch petawatts of AI datacenters into deep space if not the moon?
"Factories on the Moon can take advantage of lunar resources to manufacture satellites and deploy them further into space," Musk rambled. "By using an electromagnetic mass driver and lunar manufacturing, it is possible to put 500 to 1,000 terawatts a year of AI satellites into deep space."
While totally on brand for Musk, he isn't the first to suggest that space is the only place AI can scale unimpeded by Earth's supply of fossil fuels. Both Amazon founder [11]Jeff Bezos and Google have made similar claims. Back in November, Google launched [12]Project Suncatcher , a moonshot which also aims to establish a network of orbital AI datacenters packed with TPUs.
Musk’s post doesn’t discuss the ethics of his ideas, a point The Register notes as AI services his companies provide have [13]expressed sympathy for Nazism and churned out [14]deep fake smut . Giant datacenters in the sky, an uncertain jurisdiction, could power all sorts of mischief down here. ®
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[1] https://www.spacex.com/updates#xai-joins-spacex
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aYGA9Hvsz1Yu8dTPhR3WqgAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aYGA9Hvsz1Yu8dTPhR3WqgAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aYGA9Hvsz1Yu8dTPhR3WqgAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aYGA9Hvsz1Yu8dTPhR3WqgAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/09/nasa_crew_11_iss/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/02/starlink_lower_orbits/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/11/spacepower_startup_beam_energy_solar_farms/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/04/google_takes_ai_aspirations_orbital/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/23/musk_expects_to_launch_five/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/03/bezos_space_dcs/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/04/google_takes_ai_aspirations_orbital/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/09/grok_nazi/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/26/ec_open_new_investigation_into/
[15] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: In other words
It is transparently an attempt to pump things up isn't it. The idea that orbital AI datacentres could ever be cost competitive with terrestrial ones, let alone in three years...
Of course, he does have a proven record of solving the easiest part and then assuming the rest will solve itself (e.g. colonising Mars).
Re: In other words
Agreed. Musky does seem to be able to highlight a valid point and then promptly go off at a tangent into La la land.
Re: In other words
Exactly. AI is a cash sink that hasn't produced returns, and trying to do it but in space even worse. The most logical reason for this acquisition is to prop up shares that are likely going to crash soon if things remain as they are. Also, I expect various "unforeseen" problems that he'll explain away to account for the massive losses and keep the wool firmly over the eyes of investors.
That is assuming that there *is* a logical reason for all of this. It could be that that, given his reputed drugs use, he was high as a kite, actually *thought* he had a brilliant idea and none of the sycophants around him would even try to talk him out of it.
It warms my heart to know that there is no afterlife, and even if there was, Twitler wouldn’t be able to take it with him.
... Any chance we can pull that implied inevitability forward into, say, the current quarter? Purely for convenience in balancing the books, of course. The good of humanity as a whole is merely a coincidentally positive side effect.
"he isn't the first to suggest that space is the only place AI can scale unimpeded"
Yeah, reminds me of that deeply insightful 1990 Canuck science documentary [1]Terminal City Ricochet that developed the notion that space is perty much the answer to everything, especially junk ... and not just regular ole' [2]space debris and brand spankin' new AI slop, but also disused household appliances (eg. from [3]Boomtown -- the first 40 seconds illustrate, with a bonus on how brain implants are the future at 11:45).
Truly, even when off his meds, Musk just plain defines altruistic humanity-saving genius and associated unique ass smartery, no ifs, butts, or Little Saint James island of doubt about it, imho!
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_City_Ricochet
[2] https://eos.org/articles/flickers-of-light-help-map-the-space-junkyard
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaAVnt0X2wQ
I know I am crazy...
...But at least I know that I am not delusional. Things like this make me wonder what Musk "knows." Does he realize that, like me, people will often not be able to follow the leaps of logic his mind makes? Or does he just care about convincing people he is right? I know I am wrong often enough to warrant caution, but then again the times I get things right out number the times I get them wrong. So I was never lucky enough to be a billionaire. But does this billionaire even know that he is crazy? I mean, here is a very brief summary of most of what he posts online:
https://xkcd.com/3201/
Moon aie
I've read a bunch of science fiction, but I must have missed the one where an AI on the moon enslaves mankind. Some sorta like that, but nothing really close. Can someone privide a proper reference?
Pretty convincing evidence
that ketamine chews holes in the brain although a more cautious analysis might conclude the subject's gray matter was already fairly moth·eaten.
The blighter seems to be in the running as the prime contractor for Aristophanes' Nephelokokkygia (The Birds) — he would certainly be the anchor tenant.
I for one would be very glad
... to get some of the stuff Musk is smoking.
“within two to three years”
Now, where have I heard that before?
Add this to the “it never happened list”
In other words
The "AI" crap is a huge money loser, and in order to keep the bubble going longer, there has to be a way to subsidise it.