SpaceX could match OpenAI, Anthropic in 6 months, Musk claims
What's the story
Elon Musk has claimed that SpaceX, which acquired xAI earlier this year, could match the advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models of OpenAI and Anthropic in a matter of months. The statement came just ahead of a White House dinner focused on the risks, regulation, and competition surrounding AI technology. Currently, Anthropic and OpenAI are leading the AI race with their latest models, Claude Fable 5.1 and GPT-6, respectively, setting new benchmarks for frontier AI capabilities.
AI development
Musk's bold prediction for SpaceX's AI capabilities
SpaceX is "cautiously optimistic" that SpaceX will have a model on par with Claude Fable 5.1 and GPT-6 in two to three months, Musk said.
He also believes the company could be at the top of the AI race within six months.
The billionaire made these claims on X while responding to a discussion about Grok 4.7 and how xAI's latest model compares with those from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Competitive landscape
Musk addresses potential AI model race concerns
Responding to concerns that OpenAI and Anthropic could release more advanced models before SpaceX catches up, Musk said his company would continue accelerating its AI efforts.
He emphasized that SpaceX's AI work is only three years old compared to six and 10 years for Anthropic and OpenAI, respectively.
If their rate of improvement stays strong, Musk believes SpaceX could be at the top of the AI race in about six months.
AI confidence
Practical limitations of excessive intelligence in specific applications
Musk explained his confidence by pointing to AI capability and computing infrastructure.
He argued that once an AI model far exceeds the required intelligence for a class of tasks, additional intelligence is pointless.
"You don't need (and it would be cruel to put) Newton-level intelligence in your toaster," he wrote on X, emphasizing the practical limitations of excessive intelligence in specific applications.
Computing prowess
Musk emphasizes SpaceX's ability to scale computing resources
Musk also highlighted the difficulty of bringing massive amounts of computing power online quickly.
He said SpaceX has shown an exceptional ability in this area and will only get better.
"Hardware is hard. Bringing massive compute online rapidly is incredibly difficult," he added on X, underscoring his company's capabilities in scaling computing resources for AI development.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Musk's post
1. We will keep accelerating. Our AI efforts are only 3 years old, vs 6 and 10 years old for Anthropic and OpenAI. If our second derivative remains strong, SpaceX will reach pole position in about 6 months.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 24, 2026
2. Once you far exceed the caliber of intelligence needed for a class…