Elon Musk has denied a report claiming that SpaceX is working on a handset-like AI device. Musk called the report “utterly false” after it suggested that the company had shown an early prototype to investors before its record-breaking initial public offering. WSJ report, which was published on Wednesday, claimed that the device would run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and use its own AI-powered operating system. The software was reportedly expected to include features powered by xAI, the AI company owned by SpaceX.
The report comes shortly after another claim about SpaceX’s mobile plans. Last week, FT reported that SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell told investors that the company is exploring the idea of launching a mobile service in the US using the Starlink satellite network. There has also been speculation from some analysts that SpaceX could consider acquiring T-Mobile in the future.
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This is not the first time Musk has responded to rumours about a SpaceX smartphone. Last year, during an event in Pennsylvania, he made it clear that building a phone is not something he wants to do. “The idea of making a phone makes me want to die,” Musk said at the event. However, he also added, “if we have to make a phone, we will, but we will aspire not to make a phone.”
In February, Musk again denied similar reports. After Reuters claimed that SpaceX was developing a phone for Starlink, he responded by saying that SpaceX is “not developing a phone.”
With Musk once again rejecting the latest claims, there is currently no official confirmation that SpaceX is developing a handset-like AI device or a smartphone.
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Meanwhile, Musk recently claimed that AI could surpass the combined intelligence of all humans within the next four to five years. The remark aligns with his earlier forecasts about the arrival of artificial general intelligence and the rapid advancement of increasingly powerful AI systems.