Hegseth Unveils Pentagon AI Acceleration Push at SpaceX, Vows to Tear Down Bureaucratic Barriers

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth vowed Monday to dismantle Pentagon bureaucracy slowing artificial intelligence development, unveiling a sweeping push to deliver AI capabilities to U.S. warfighters at speed during a speech at SpaceX’s Starbase launch site in Texas.

Calling the Pentagon’s legacy acquisition model outdated, Hegseth said the department will abandon linear development timelines and open the door wider to non-traditional tech firms. “That ends today,” he declared, promising rapid experimentation and faster fielding of operational systems.

The remarks came during Hegseth’s “Arsenal of Freedom” tour, which earlier included a stop at Lockheed Martin, where he pressed for advanced upgrades to the F-35 program. His appearances underscored the Trump administration’s growing view of SpaceX as a central defense partner, praising CEO Elon Musk for rejecting what Hegseth called a risk-averse culture.

Alongside the speech, the Pentagon formally announced an “Artificial Intelligence Acceleration Strategy” aimed at cutting red tape, recruiting top private-sector talent, and integrating frontier AI across missions. The department said the effort will remove “woke DEI” considerations from AI systems in favor of mission-first performance.

Hegseth also named Cameron Stanley–formerly of Amazon Web Services–as the next chief digital and artificial intelligence officer. A new internal “barrier removal SWAT team” will be empowered to waive requirements and flag bottlenecks, treating delays in data sharing, testing, and contracting as operational risks.

President Donald Trump has reinforced the urgency, warning defense contractors against dividends and stock buybacks until they boost research and development spending–signaling that speed and innovation will define the Pentagon’s next phase.

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