Google Staffers Demand End to Work on Pentagon AI Project More than 3,100 employees have signed the letter protesting Google's involvement in Project Maven, a Pentagon effort to use AI systems to analyze drone footage.

By Michael Kan

This story originally appeared on PCMag

via PC Mag

Some Google employees are not happy the company is working with the Pentagon on an AI system that analyzes drone footage.

The employees have circulated a letter within the company that demands Google CEO Sundar Pichai pull the plug on the effort; it received over 3,100 signatures, The New York Times reports.

"We believe that Google should not be in the business of war," the letter reads.

Last month, news emerged that Google had partnered with the Defense Department on Project Maven, an effort to build AI systems that can process and analyze countless hours of video footage taken from aerial drones.

Project Maven intends to tap computer vision technology, which can be used to identify objects and faces in digital images. Google is among several companies developing the tech for things like image search and photo labeling. But clearly, the same technology holds promise for the military, too. The first goal of Project Maven is to help the U.S. defeat the terrorist group ISIS by identifying targets in drone footage that human eyes might have missed.

How Google is contributing to project isn't totally clear. But in an email, the company said its efforts are focused on "non-offensive purposes" and involve its open-source object recognition technology, which is available to any Google Cloud customer.

The company added: "The (computing) models are based on unclassified data only. The technology is used to flag images for human review and is intended to save lives and save people from having to do highly tedious work."

But the letter protesting Google's involvement in Project Maven argues that the Pentagon could one day weaponize the company's contributions into flying a drone or launching an attack. "We cannot outsource the moral responsibility of our technologies to third parties," the letter says.

It also warns that Google's involvement in military research could tarnish the search giant's reputation and drive talent away. "The argument that other firms, like Microsoft and Amazon, are also participating doesn't make this any less risky for Google," the letter reads. "Google's unique history, its motto, "Don't be evil," and its direct reach into the lives of billions of users set it apart."

Google told PCMag it welcomed the employee discussions about the technologies. "Any military use of machine learning naturally raises valid concerns," the company said in an email. But for now, Google hasn't said whether it'll cancel its involvement in Project Maven.

Michael Kan

Reporter

Michael has been a PCMag reporter since October 2017. He previously covered tech news in China from 2010 to 2015, before moving to San Francisco to write about cybersecurity.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

Dog-Lovers' Side Hustle 'Took Off Right Away' and Made More Than $30,000 a Month — Now It's About to Hit $2.3 Million

Childhood friends Teddy Tawil and Irving Fallas turned their passion for pets into a successful business.

Business News

'Affluent People Love a Deal': These Luxury Items Are Flying Off the Shelves at Costco, According to the Company's Longtime Chairman

Some Costco customers are washing down their $1.50 hot dog combo with fancy Champagne, apparently.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

What Is 'AI Tasking'? Entrepreneurs Are Using This Viral Strategy to Save 3 Days a Week

Want to 10x revenue without hiring? AI automates marketing, saving you 3+ days/week. Learn 4 AI tools for content, chatbots, leads & sales. Get the free 'AI Success Kit' + a chapter from Ben's new book!

Leadership

'The Most Important Traits Are Confidence and Humility': Leadership Lessons From an Army Ranger Turned CEO

Dan Streetman, the CEO of Tanium, a leading cybersecurity company located in the San Francisco Bay Area, on how being an Army Ranger has prepared him to be a CEO, what leadership means to him and how his company works to deliver the power of certainty for the organizations it serves.

Side Hustle

Two Knicks and a Businessman Walk Into a Studio — And Turn Their Side Hustle Into a Booming Business. Here's How They Did It

The Roommates Podcast, hosted by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, combines genuine conversation with a focus on business, all under the guidance of co-host Matt Hillman. With his marketing savvy, Hillman helps with brand collaborations and improves the podcast's reach and impact.