politics
Google Joins Microsoft, Amazon in Pentagon AI Deals for Classified Defense Applications
Google has entered into an agreement with the Pentagon to integrate its AI models into classified operations, as announced last week. The deal joins similar arrangements by other tech firms including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX. Employee concerns and past protests highlight internal tensions at Google over military AI applications.
The IndependentAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
Google signed a deal with the Pentagon to use its AI models in classified work, as announced last week. The Independent contacted Google and the Defense Department for comment. The Pentagon insisted it won’t use AI for fully autonomous weapons or mass domestic surveillance.
Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Nvidia, OpenAI, Reflection and SpaceX reached deals to provide AI for use in classified systems, the Defense Department announced on Friday. Google employees protested and resigned, influencing the company’s 2018 decision to back out of Project Maven, an AI-assisted military targeting program.
Employees claim they’ve been banned from discussing sensitive topics such as ICE and whether the Gaza war was a genocide on internal forums.
The company removed an online portion of its AI principles saying it would not use its technology to develop weapons shortly after Trump was elected. Users boycotted OpenAI’s ChatGPT earlier this year after the company agreed to terms with the Pentagon. The Pentagon labeled Anthropic a 'supply chain risk' after it wouldn’t agree to the military’s terms on a defense-related AI contract.
The military used Anthropic’s model Claude as part of the Iran war.
