The War Department launched Grok, SpaceXAI founder Elon Musk’s chatbot, for military use more than a year after signing a contract with Starshield AI. Starshield AI’s Grok for Government is Musk’s flagship attempt to assist the U.S…
Page A11From§Eachthe matinee edition — 31 August 2026
Pentagon launches Musk’s Grok for military use as AI makes hacking banks easier than ever
The Pentagon’s new partnership with Musk’s Grok AI (6) is sold as a leap forward in military intelligence. At the same time, finance leaders warn that AI now makes hacking banks easier than ever (38). The official line is that using advanced AI keeps the country safe; the unofficial reality is that every leap in tech arms the attackers as much as the defenders. The contradiction sits right in the receipts: the very tools meant to secure the nation’s secrets are the ones making civilian targets more vulnerable. The Pentagon touts Grok for efficiency, for intelligence, for staying ahead. But the same AI, out in the wild, is what bank executives fear, because it lowers the bar for cybercrime. We’re told the risks are manageable, that banks have protections—until they don’t, and the hacks start. The spin is always progress, never the cost. Progress means the military gets smarter, and the public gets a little less safe with every upgrade. The joke is that the same headline could announce cybersecurity and cyber-insecurity, depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting on. The official narrative collapses in the face of the receipts: the lock and the key are being built by the same people, and sold to both sides. The question is who gets to use them, and who pays for the fallout.
“They hand Musk’s AI to the Pentagon, then turn around and say AI makes hacking banks easier than ever. One hand builds the lock, the other hands out the keys. It’s the same playbook every time—tech for power, and the rest of us get the fallout.”
“The Pentagon’s adoption of Grok is about efficiency and security, not about vulnerabilities. Sure, AI can make hacking easier, but that’s why we need to stay ahead with advanced tools. Besides, the risks are manageable—unless you’re a bank, but banks have plenty of protections, so it’s fine. Did I just contradict myself? That doesn’t sound right. Well, the important thing is progress.”
The receipts
‘the ability materially to alter the speed, scale and economics ‘
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.