SpaceX had agreed to testify before the New York City Council, with an appearance scheduled for October 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET. The Council’s Committee on Technology is examining whether AI-related risks warrant legislative action to protect New Yorkers, according to CNBC’s October 13 report.
Why the Council sought SpaceX’s testimony
CNBC reported that Council Speaker Julie Menin and General Counsel Nwamaka Ejebe issued a subpoena on September 28 to Elon Musk and SpaceX’s AI unit. SpaceX did not appear at the October 5 hearing, where representatives of Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Meta testified.
The Council said it intended to seek judicial enforcement of the subpoena after SpaceX’s absence. CNBC reported that SpaceX agreed to testify after that warning; the Council announced the agreement on October 13.
What the AI inquiry covers
The Council’s inquiry concerns potential risks to public safety, cybersecurity, economic stability, privacy, consumers, and businesses, and whether those risks warrant legislative action. CNBC quoted the Council’s stated purpose as protecting New Yorkers.
Committee on Technology Chair Carmen De La Rosa said the committee wants SpaceX to address data privacy, safeguards, and whistleblower protections. Those are among the subjects the company was expected to discuss at the scheduled appearance.
Reports differ on consent in the Grok allegations
The accounts describe the consent issue differently. CNBC describes allegations involving Grok-generated images of people who consented; DiarioBitcoin describes the alleged images as made without consent.
