NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Thousands of Google employees don’t want to help Pentagon wage war
As many as 3,100 Google LLC employees have signed a letter asking the company to drop out of a project to help the U.S. Department of Defense.
Last month it became known that Google would help the Pentagon analyze drone footage using its artificial intelligence technology, in what is known as “Project Maven.” At the time, it was reported that some employees were outraged that the company was involving itself in matters of war.
“We believe that Google should not be in the business of war,” stated the letter, which was addressed to Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai. Google’s part in the project is to use AI to help identify and flag images for human review from thousands of hours of drone footage taken in Iraq and Syria.
Google has said that its involvement is nonoffensive, meaning it won’t be used to fly drones or launch weapons. Some Google employees don’t see it that way, perhaps because of a statement made by the DoD that it would soon be “winning wars with computer algorithms.”
“While this eliminates a narrow set of direct applications, the technology is being built for the military, and once it’s delivered it could easily be used to assist in these tasks,” the letter went on, countering the nonoffensive claim made by Google.
The letter also said that helping the Pentagon will further damage the company’s reputation with the public because “weaponized AI” isn’t exactly popular. Although Microsoft Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. may have been involved in military projects, the letter added, Google should adhere to its “Don’t be Evil” motto.
In a response published today by the New York Times, Google said it was natural that employees were concerned, stating that it was “hugely important and beneficial” that employees wanted to discuss Google’s involvement with matters of defense. “We’re actively engaged across the company in a comprehensive discussion of this important topic,” the statement said.
Google reiterated that the technology is not used for offensive purposes, stating that it “is intended to save lives and save people from having to do highly tedious work.”
Image: Debra Sweet via Flickr
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