A Watchman Briefing from Christian Action Network Look Up! AI Supercomputers Are Heading to SpaceWith AI data centers moving into orbit, the power of the Beast could one day hover over every homeEarlier this week, I wrote about how I couldn’t even get a remote-controlled foam plane to lift off while my ten-year-old granddaughter could fly it like she was a Top Gun pilot. Well, here’s something else I know I can’t do. If I can’t launch a toy plane without divine wind assistance, there’s no way I could launch an AI supercomputer in space. But Elon Musk says he can. Yes, but should we really be surprised? Musk wants to build “space-based AI compute,” a fancy way of saying AI data centers floating in orbit around Earth. Here’s an Amen we could probably all agree upon: This is truly out of this world. Now, beyond sounding amazing, it should also sound like something else. Alarming. Because, as with every new marvel, we tend to get so dazzled by the spectacle that we miss the danger hiding behind it. I am not saying Musk has some dark plan for Earth. I am saying this:The idea of orbiting AI supercomputers is exactly the kind of invention the Beast would love circling over your home. When a piece of technology leaves Earth’s laws, Earth’s governments, and Earth’s limits, you’d better believe it deserves the attention of Watchmen. So, what is Musk actually trying to do? Here’s the short version. Last year, Tesla shut down its big AI supercomputer project called Dojo. The whole team disbanded, the leaders quit, and everyone assumed the idea was dead and buried. Then this week, Musk suddenly pops up and says: Actually, never mind. We’re bringing it back. We’re putting the next one in space. I imagine the engineers at Tesla felt the same way I did watching Lexi fly her foam plane. According to Musk, he wants a new generation of chips that can work inside satellites or space stations. These would act like an orbiting brain, far above the clouds, training and running artificial intelligence nonstop. No need to plug into the power grid. No worries about the weather. No overheating. Just endless sunlight and nothing in the way. Sounds impressive. Why put AI in space at all?This is the part that we need to understand. And it’s simple. AI on Earth has limits. It takes enormous amounts of electricity. Cities are already complaining that the power demands from new AI centers are overwhelming their grids. So, what’s the solution if you’re Elon Musk? Simple. Put the whole thing where no government can touch it. There is something unsettling about that, even if Musk’s intentions are good. Because once an AI brain is orbiting the Earth, who exactly is in charge of it? No one, really. Possibly not even Musk. That is where our “awe of technology” should give way to something far more important… discernment. But isn’t this just science fiction?I wish it were. Musk already controls the rockets. And here’s the part most people don’t know: Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, has also said he wants AI data centers in orbit. In other words, this is not a wild idea. And Elon Musk has a colossal advantage. He already controls the only company on Earth that can launch massive hardware into space cheaply and repeatedly. Furthermore, he can land it safely (well, most of the time), and then launch it again like toasters launch toast. No one else can do that. So, if someone is going to build an orbiting AI brain, Musk is first in line with the keys to the only rocket capable of hauling that kind of weight. What does this mean for ordinary Americans?Let me break this down the way I would explain it to a friend over coffee. Right now, all AI is still tied to planet Earth. Meaning, if something goes wrong, or someone abuses it, there are at least some levers, some brakes, some guardrails. But once it is in space? The brakes are gone. A supercomputer circling the Earth is harder to reach than astronauts stranded on a space station. And remember, the next generation of AI is not some little chatbot answering trivia questions. These systems will be smarter, faster, and more influential than anything we have ever seen in our lifetimes. So here are the real-world concerns:1. Who oversees an AI brain in orbit? 2. Who makes sure it is used responsibly? 3. What happens if it behaves in ways humans cannot predict? 4. What happens when one billionaire owns the only ladder that reaches it? I do not say that to create fear. Why Christians, especially, need to be Watchmen right nowI am not calling Musk the Beast. Let me be crystal clear about that. But the Bible repeatedly warns about powers that rise above nations, and technologies that seek dominion over humanity. We are told to stay alert. To watch. To discern. (Matt. 24:24) And when something enormous appears on the world stage, Christians should not shrug and say, “Well, that’s neat.” An intelligence circling the Earth. Free from the laws of nations. Free from the authority of governments, but can be controlled by an international government. And free from the oversight of the people. That is precisely the kind of development Scripture urges believers to keep their eyes on. Because the danger is not who launches the first space-based AI. Once the technology exists, every nation on Earth will want it. This is not science fiction. This is foresight. And foresight is the job of Watchmen. A few days ago, my granddaughter’s little foam plane got stuck on our roof. But an AI super-data center circling the Earth… sending signals, shaping information, influencing nations, and possibly crashing malicious data straight through the roof of your home? That kind of harm might never be undone. Before you go, let me hear from you:
Martin Mawyer is the President of Christian Action Network, host of the “Shout Out Patriots” podcast, and author of When Evil Stops Hiding. For more action alerts, cultural commentary, and real-world campaigns defending faith, family, and freedom, subscribe to Patriot Majority Report. You are currently a free subscriber to Patriot Majority Report. |