On April 28 (US time), the Pentagon reached an agreement to expand the use of Google's artificial intelligence in secret operations, according to many US media sources.
This move comes as the US military seeks to reduce dependence on Anthropic's technology after the company opposed the application of AI for widespread surveillance or automated weapons.
Previously, Anthropic's AI model Claude was the only tool allowed to be used in US military secret operations. However, the decision of President Donald Trump's administration to stop using this technology, after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth considered Anthropic a risk to the national security supply chain, changed the situation. The company is currently opposing these measures in court.
After the gap left by Anthropic, many technology companies have joined in providing alternative solutions. OpenAI reached an agreement to integrate AI interfaces into government systems, while Elon Musk's xAI company also signed a cooperation agreement with the Pentagon.
Mr. Cameron Stanley, Digital Director of the Pentagon, emphasized that relying on a single supplier is inappropriate.
Agreements with Google and other partners are said to only allow the use of AI within the legal framework. However, this plan faced opposition from within Google. More than 600 employees signed a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, calling for refusal of cooperation due to concerns that technology could be used in a way that harms or infringes on civil liberties.
An employee participating in the protest organization argues that secret activities are inherently opaque, making it difficult to control the deployment of AI. Meanwhile, the Pentagon argues that flexible terms are needed to ensure combat effectiveness.
The current controversy evokes the wave of protests in 2018, when Google employees forced the company to withdraw from the Maven project related to military AI. However, in recent years, Google has adjusted its strategy, gradually returning to the defense sector and competing for technology contracts with the government.
