SpaceX Subpoenaed to Testify at NYC AI Safety Hearing

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has agreed to testify before the New York City Council regarding artificial intelligence safety risks, a commitment made after the company received a subpoena. Council Speaker Julie Menin announced SpaceX's agreement Tuesday, confirming their representative will appear this Friday.

SpaceX's testimony follows an initial AI safety hearing held last week, which the company did not attend. That session featured virtual appearances from representatives of rival firms Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta, as well as safety experts and whistleblowers like former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon. Menin described SpaceX’s absence from the previous hearing as “unacceptable,” emphasizing that the public deserves to hear directly from companies developing powerful AI technology about their safety protocols and accountability measures.

The City Council initially issued a subpoena for SpaceX's testimony on September 28. After the company failed to comply with the demand, the council threatened to file a petition with the New York State Supreme Court to enforce the subpoena.

Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa, chair of the council’s technology committee, stated that SpaceX had attempted to “circumvent our city’s public conversation on the dangers of AI.” She added that with the increasing prevalence of Musk's technology at the federal level, it is crucial for companies to engage in discussions about data privacy, safeguards, and whistleblower protections.

During the previous hearing, Coxon, who resigned from Anthropic citing concerns about AI's existential risk, described the AI industry as being “extremely reckless given the stakes.” He characterized the prevailing startup mindset of “move fast, break things, fix them later” as unsuitable for the development of potent AI technologies.

SpaceX, which encompasses Musk's aerospace ventures and his xAI artificial intelligence unit, became a public entity in June.