Tesla driver filming at NSA facility with Grok AI sparks security review

A Tesla driver filmed himself using Elon Musk’s “unhinged” Grok AI assistant while driving to work at a highly classified NSA facility, inadvertently capturing restricted government property in the process. US Cyber Command is now reviewing the incident after the video, which Musk amplified to over 16 million views on X, showed the driver entering and parking at the NSA’s Friendship Annex in Maryland—a sensitive cyber espionage facility where recording is prohibited under federal law.

What you should know: The video shows a Tesla driver entering NSA’s Friendship Annex, a classified facility in Linthicum, Maryland, while testing Grok’s controversial “unhinged mode” feature.

• The driver filmed himself going through security checkpoints and parking inside the restricted compound at building “FANX 1,” one of three main structures at the site.
• Recording video or taking photos without authorization at the facility violates federal law and security protocols designed to protect sensitive operations.
• The fact that the individual could access the site indicates he’s either an intelligence community member or cleared contractor, likely working for the NSA.

The facility’s significance: The NSA Friendship Annex serves as a critical hub for highly sensitive cyber intelligence operations established in the 1970s.

• The complex functions as a cyber espionage station used to analyze foreign hacker activities and conduct signals intelligence work.
• It houses screening operations for new government employees, including polygraph and psychological testing.
• The site also serves as the main campus of the National Cryptologic School, training the next generation of intelligence professionals.

Why this matters: The incident highlights serious security vulnerabilities when personal technology intersects with classified government facilities.

• “Recording video within the boundaries of sensitive Federal facilities is banned for very good reasons,” Jason Kikta, a former US Cyber Command official, told CNN. “Sensitive equipment could be getting installed. There could be personnel within view who need to remain publicly unaffiliated.”
• The breach occurred while the driver was demonstrating Grok’s “unhinged mode,” which responds “like an amateur stand-up comic who is still learning the craft – sometimes being objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive.”

The investigation: US Cyber Command confirmed it’s actively reviewing the security breach after CNN’s inquiry.

• “U.S. Cyber Command is aware of the video and the incident is under review,” a spokesperson said Friday.
• CNN geolocated the video using Google Street imagery and the Tesla’s internal mapping system to confirm the NSA facility location.
• Two sources familiar with the site’s layout confirmed the driver proceeded through access control checkpoints while filming and continued recording once inside the compound.

Musk’s amplification: The Tesla CEO promoted the video across his social media platform, drawing millions of views to content that inadvertently exposed classified facility details.

• The video accumulated over 16 million views after Musk shared it as part of his promotion of Grok’s new features.
• X did not respond to CNN’s request for comment about the security implications of amplifying the restricted footage.