Elon Musk's Rocket Company, SpaceX, is aiming to hire engineers from their new AI Software Engineering team.
In a job list released on July 11, the company said the new team will “focus on solving complex data problems with launch vehicles and spacecraft.” SpaceX said the team will also support Starlink, the company's satellite internet service.
List says it is considering candidates for majors in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics. He said that people with no degree can be considered if they have at least four years of professional experience in building software.
“Aerospace experience doesn't have to be successful here,” the list said, adding that candidates should have at least a year's experience in AI software engineering, full-stack development and data science.
The company said AI software engineers will be paid between $120,000 and $170,000 a year. This is above the company stock, stock options, or bonuses that the engineer may receive.
SpaceX's latest AI recruitment efforts are a surprise given Musk's previous remarks on AI and space travel. The billionaire said at the 27th Milken Institute Global Conference in May 2024 that SpaceX and Starlink “basically don't use AI.”
“Oddly, one area where AI is rarely used is space exploration,” Musk says.
“I'm not against using it. We're not using it,” he added.
Musk said he had been asking the AI about the design and electrochemistry of the rocket engine, but that the model felt “awful with all these questions.”
“So there's still a long way to go,” Musk said.
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However, development within the industry appears to have changed the mindset of masks.
Last week, Musk's AI startup Xai launched Grok 4, the latest version of its chatbot. SpaceX Chief said the Grok 4 is “smart at the same time than almost every graduate student in all fields.”
AI appears to be an important area of focus for Musk and his various businesses, or what insiders call “muscomi.”
On Sunday, Musk said he would hold a shareholder vote on whether his EV company Tesla would invest in Xai. The mask did not specify exactly when the vote would take place. The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that SpaceX is focusing on its $2 billion investment in Xai.
“It's not up to me. If it was up to me, Tesla would have invested in Xai a long time ago,” Musk wrote in X's post Sunday night.
SpaceX representatives did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
