SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said in an employee address posted by the company on X on August 11: “Our AI revenue could exceed the combined revenue of all other SpaceX businesses as early as September, which is next month. In the fourth quarter, it will far exceed the revenue of our other businesses. So, AI has already become an extremely important part of SpaceX’s future.”
Earlier this year, SpaceX acquired xAI, the startup Musk founded in 2023. However, the acquisition of xAI is only the beginning of SpaceX’s move into AI.
Musk made the bold prediction this time: “In about four or five years, AI will account for 99% of SpaceX’s value; it will definitely reach that level in five years. By then, SpaceX’s value will be astronomical.”
“Astronomical” is not an exaggeration. Musk said SpaceX plans to increase its operational AI computing capacity to 10 gigawatts by the end of next year, compared with just 1.4 gigawatts currently. “The value per watt could reach $30 to $50 (note: approximately 202.8 to 337.9 yuan at the current exchange rate). In other words, if we bring 10 gigawatts of AI computing capacity online by the end of next year, it could generate $300 billion to $500 billion (approximately 2.03 trillion to 3.38 trillion yuan at the current exchange rate) in annual revenue. The numbers are very large.”
Musk optimistically predicted: “The future fundamentally belongs to AI and robotics. As long as civilization continues to advance, I believe AI... the total amount of digital intelligence could eventually exceed the total amount of biological intelligence by one trillion times.”
Musk also said that he is promoting the AI business not merely to make money. “It is very important to have an AI that cares about humanity, advances humanity, and helps us travel to other planets and other star systems. For that reason, I believe SpaceX must succeed not only in AI hardware but also in AI software. I believe the AI developed by SpaceX will be a very good AI. SpaceX brings together some of the finest people on Earth, who are outstanding in ability, ethics, and kindness.”
Musk urged SpaceX employees to help the company’s AI business as much as possible, emphasizing that if it succeeds, employees might even receive some amazing vacation opportunities in the future. “One nice benefit is that anyone at SpaceX who wants to go to the Moon or Mars in the future will be able to go. I guarantee it.”