US Military Uses of AI Took a Dramatic Turn in the Past Year, as Companies Like Meta and OpenAI Shifted Their Stance on Using Technology for Military Purposes. In 2022, these companies were united against military use of their tools, but since then, all that has changed. Now, they are quietly rescinding their bans or partnering with the Pentagon.
OpenAI, which was once banned from using AI for "military and warfare" purposes, is now working on several projects with the US defense department. The company has also partnered with Anduril, a defense startup, to provide its AI technology to the military. Meta, another tech giant, has announced that it will allow Llama to be used by select allies in defense operations.
Google has revised its AI principles to permit the development and use of weapons and technologies that may harm people. This shift is attributed to the immense costs involved in building these models, which have made research on general-purpose technologies faster when there's a large, demanding, and income-generating application sector – like the US defense department.
The past few years have dramatically shifted the landscape of capitalist competition from neoliberal free market ideals to geopolitical concerns. The relationships between states and their large technology companies have become central to earlier formations of imperialism.
However, this harmony of interests amongst elite groups has unraveled, leaving behind fragments of potentially new arrangements in both the US and China. The emergence of a new fraction of Silicon Valley capital and a splitting of worldviews amongst the American tech elite is a significant shift.
On one side, there remains a powerful group of tech companies that continue to benefit from globalized digital capitalism. These Big Tech firms have been socially liberal and economically neoliberal but are now aligning with the state via government contracts and a bipolar vision of the global order.
On the other side, there is the growing influence of a newly prominent tech right. This grouping contains radical ideologies and ideas, including techno-monarchist visions and eugenicist views. The new military industrial complex promises a far nimbler set of startups that offer quicker and more adaptive innovation.
The major AI startups have also recently begun pushing the narrative of a zero-sum struggle between the US and China. Some tech companies are using rhetoric about Chinese competition to resist regulation, while others are advocating for a world built around the free flow of goods, services, and data instead.
All of this reflects a major breakdown of the Silicon Valley Consensus. The vaguely socially liberal elements of Silicon Valley are being attacked and replaced with an increasingly virulent right wing that is aligning with the state via government contracts and a bipolar vision of the global order.
OpenAI, which was once banned from using AI for "military and warfare" purposes, is now working on several projects with the US defense department. The company has also partnered with Anduril, a defense startup, to provide its AI technology to the military. Meta, another tech giant, has announced that it will allow Llama to be used by select allies in defense operations.
Google has revised its AI principles to permit the development and use of weapons and technologies that may harm people. This shift is attributed to the immense costs involved in building these models, which have made research on general-purpose technologies faster when there's a large, demanding, and income-generating application sector – like the US defense department.
The past few years have dramatically shifted the landscape of capitalist competition from neoliberal free market ideals to geopolitical concerns. The relationships between states and their large technology companies have become central to earlier formations of imperialism.
However, this harmony of interests amongst elite groups has unraveled, leaving behind fragments of potentially new arrangements in both the US and China. The emergence of a new fraction of Silicon Valley capital and a splitting of worldviews amongst the American tech elite is a significant shift.
On one side, there remains a powerful group of tech companies that continue to benefit from globalized digital capitalism. These Big Tech firms have been socially liberal and economically neoliberal but are now aligning with the state via government contracts and a bipolar vision of the global order.
On the other side, there is the growing influence of a newly prominent tech right. This grouping contains radical ideologies and ideas, including techno-monarchist visions and eugenicist views. The new military industrial complex promises a far nimbler set of startups that offer quicker and more adaptive innovation.
The major AI startups have also recently begun pushing the narrative of a zero-sum struggle between the US and China. Some tech companies are using rhetoric about Chinese competition to resist regulation, while others are advocating for a world built around the free flow of goods, services, and data instead.
All of this reflects a major breakdown of the Silicon Valley Consensus. The vaguely socially liberal elements of Silicon Valley are being attacked and replaced with an increasingly virulent right wing that is aligning with the state via government contracts and a bipolar vision of the global order.
I get it, the costs of building these AI models are huge and they're trying to make a profit, but is this really necessary? It feels like we're playing with fire here. Are we prepared for the consequences of creating these super advanced technologies that can be used in warfare?
This new military industrial complex is looking like a whole different ball game. The idea of this 'tech right' movement scares me, with their techno-monarchist visions and eugenicist views... we need to keep an eye on this. 
So, you think these tech giants are just gonna chill on their moral compasses for some cash? I mean, it's like they're trading in their values for access to the Pentagon's wallet 
. OpenAI going full-on military AI? It's wild considering how vocal they were against this stuff last year 
. Meta and Google too? This isn't just about capitalism; it's about the global game being played out, where state interests supersede all else 
. The emergence of a new faction of Silicon Valley capital is interesting – some are pro-regulation, while others are pushing for a wild west style of innovation 
. What's next? Will we see AI-powered mercenaries or something more sinister? 
. these big tech firms are making bank off their models, so why not just sell to the highest bidder, right? 
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. some tech companies are using anti-China vibes to resist regulation, while others are just trying to make a buck off the US defense department 
. can we still have some semblance of social responsibility amidst all this profit-driven chaos? 
just think about it, AI tech is like a Wild West now 
, everyone's scrambling to partner with the Pentagon & get in on the military action 
I'm all for innovation, but come on, we need to make sure our values aren't getting lost in the process 
. Can we at least keep a check on who's calling the shots here & making sure it doesn't get too outta hand?! 
This shift in tech companies' stance on military use of AI is crazy! I mean, just last year they were all against it and now some are even partnering with the Pentagon 
. But seriously, if it means a shift away from neoliberal ideals and towards more geopolitical considerations, I'm all for it 
Can we please have a conversation about the ethics of AI development without involving the military? 
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without even thinking about the consequences. Meta, OpenAI, and Google just kinda gave up on their "don't hurt people" stance and are now getting paid by the Pentagon to do... what exactly? 
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. now we've got these new players like anduril stepping into the game and it's like a whole different landscape 
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. it's making me wonder if we'll end up with a world where the government and big tech are more closely aligned than ever 
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. I mean, we used to think of these companies as socially liberal and economically neoliberal, but now it seems like that's just code for "we'll do whatever it takes to stay ahead of the game" 
. And as an outsider looking in, it's hard not to feel a little bit cynical 
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. The old social liberal ideology is giving way to this tech right wing that's all about the state and control 
. It's like they lost faith in the whole "tech is supposed to be good" narrative 
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. And now we've got a new faction of Silicon Valley capital pushing for techno-monarchist visions and eugenicist views 
. And all of this is happening because of this major breakdown of the Silicon Valley Consensus 
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OpenAI is working with the Pentagon, Meta is partnering with select allies... what's going on? The article talks about how the cost of building these models has made them realize they can actually make money off of defense contracts and research. It sounds like a huge shift in their priorities... but also kinda scary? 
. As a parent, my biggest worry is that our kids are gonna grow up in a world where tech companies have way too much power and influence over our lives... it's like, what kind of future do we want for them? 
It seems like these companies are more interested in lining their pockets than protecting humanity. And I'm worried about the implications of this new military-industrial complex – it could lead to some serious erosion of our civil liberties 
. We need to keep an eye on how this all plays out, especially with the rise of a tech right that's pushing some pretty radical ideologies 