--- title: "Elon Musk Threatens to “Make Weapons”" description: "Elon Musk is asking his followers if he should get into the weaponized drone game — and we can't tell if we should be terrified or not." date: "2022-10-18" modified: "2022-10-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-threatens-make-weapons" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "drones" - "elon musk" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Threatens to “Make Weapons” ![Elon Musk is once again spouting off on the social platform he's soon to own — and this time, he's asking his followers if he should make drones.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Cyberdrone Elon Musk is asking his followers if he should get into the weaponized drone game **—** and we can't tell if we should be terrified or not. After posting about the [killer "kamikaze" drones]() used by both sides of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — which he dubbed "[Drone War I]()" — the world's richest man made a terrifying suggestion. "Should I make weapons?" [he tweeted](). "Ideally, not." As always, it's hard what to make of Musk's Twitter musings. Is he threatening to get into the weaponized drone business — he certainly has the funds — or is he just making an ill-advised joke? ## Droning On As the [*Associated Press* article Musk linked to]() explains, both Ukraine and Russia are employing [these "kamikaze" or "suicide" drones]() to gain an upper hand on the battlefield. Russia [has used Iranian Shahed series drones]() extensively in its offensive on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Other reports \[link\] note that Russia has also manufactured its own. Meanwhile, Ukraine has been [the recipient of American suicide drones]() and [partially crowdfunded]() the purchase of additional drones as well. In short, the conflict in Ukraine has become the poster child of what the future of warfare looks like. ## Savior Complex While Musk hopefully is not going to try his hand at manufacturing weapons, he did respond affirmatively to another, now-suspended user who [posted a poorly-made meme]() of the billionaire in front of a Boring Company sign holding one of the company's "not-flamethrowers," suggesting he intends to be a peacekeeper in the conflict. ![]() Here's hoping the soon-to-be owner of Twitter doesn't get any funny ideas from his warmongering fanboys anytime soon. **More on Musk:** *[SpaceX Reportedly Kept Quiet After an Employee Was Horrifically Injured This Year]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()