## The Pentagon and Star Trek: an Unsettling Similarity Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth launched the "Arsenal of Freedom" tour at SpaceX headquarters in Starbase, Texas. The initiative, which aims to promote technological innovation in the defense sector, has an unexpected echo. ## A Thought-Provoking Title The name "Arsenal of Freedom" is the same as an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1988. In that episode, a weapon system controlled by artificial intelligence destroys an entire civilization, and then threatens the crew of the Enterprise. Elon Musk and Hegseth, during the event, made no reference to this connection, which was instead noted by some fans of the series. ## Implications and Context The choice of name, although probably unintentional, raises questions about the use of artificial intelligence in the military field. The debate on the ethics and risks connected to the development of autonomous weapons is increasingly heated, and this coincidence only fuels it.