● Covered by 1 source · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
SpaceX agrees to testify to NYC Council on AI safety after subpoena
Key points
- SpaceX received a subpoena on Sept. 28.
- Agreed to testify after threat of enforcement.
- NYC Council investigating AI safety risks.
- SpaceX's xAI unit includes Grok models.
- Gabriela Castillo Madrid is SpaceX's AI policy leader.
- Testimony is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
- Castillo Madrid will appear by video conference.
- SpaceX evaded requests and a subpoena to appear on Oct. 5.
- Castillo Madrid worked at X before joining SpaceX.
- Castillo Madrid worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce for almost three years.
SpaceX to Testify on AI Safety
SpaceX has agreed to appear before the New York City Council this week to provide testimony on artificial intelligence safety risks. This follows a legislative investigation initiated by the council into the potential dangers posed by advanced AI models.
The testimony will occur on Friday at 10 a.m. ET before the council's tech committee. This agreement comes after council speaker Julie Menin and general counsel Nwamaka Ejebe issued a subpoena to Elon Musk and SpaceX's AI unit on September 28.
Subpoena and Prior Absence
SpaceX initially did not appear at a hearing on October 5, where representatives from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta testified. The council stated that SpaceX agreed to testify two days later, after the council indicated its intent to have the subpoena enforced by a judge.
Council speaker Menin emphasized the importance of SpaceX's participation, noting its absence from the previous hearing was "unacceptable" given the scope of the investigation.
SpaceX's AI Operations
In February, Elon Musk integrated his AI venture, xAI, into SpaceX. This conglomerate now includes its Grok models, which are utilized by some federal agencies, including the Pentagon. SpaceX went public in June and is valued at over $2 trillion, and in August, it acquired AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion.
SpaceX competes in the AI market with companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, though its Grok models are described as trailing behind those of top rivals.
Purpose of the Investigation
The New York City Council launched its investigation following a month of debate concerning the risks associated with advanced AI models. The council's original letter requesting testimony stated that the investigation aims to "assess whether fast-emerging risks to public safety, cybersecurity, economic stability, privacy, consumers and businesses warrant immediate legislative action to protect New Yorkers."
Carmen De La Rosa, chair of the tech committee, stated that the council expects answers from SpaceX, particularly regarding data privacy, safeguards, and whistleblower protections, given the proliferation of Musk's technology at the federal level.
Updates
- Gabriela Castillo Madrid is SpaceX's AI policy leader.
- Testimony is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
- Castillo Madrid will appear by video conference.
- SpaceX evaded requests and a subpoena to appear on Oct. 5.
- Castillo Madrid worked at X before joining SpaceX.
- Castillo Madrid worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce for almost three years.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
SpaceX's AI policy leader, Gabriela Castillo Madrid, will testify before the New York City Council regarding AI safety after initially evading requests. This testimony is part of a legislative investigation aimed at guiding new AI regulations, following debates on advanced AI model risks.
SpaceX will testify before the New York City Council regarding AI safety risks after receiving a subpoena. The council is investigating potential risks from advanced AI models to public safety, cybersecurity, and privacy, and sought testimony from major AI companies.