In search for profitable opportunities, the tech giant removes its moral obligation to limit AI use to civilian projects.

Google has removed from its website a longstanding pledge not to develop AI for weapons or surveillance, breaking a major public promise. The change was made to the company's public AI principles page, which previously included a section titled “applications we will not pursue.” That section was still visible as recently as last week.

Google said in a new blog post that it still stood by a “responsible AI,” stating, “we believe that companies, governments, and organizations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.”

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The updated AI principles emphasize mitigating harmful outcomes, avoiding unfair bias, and aligning with “widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.”

Google has faced employee protests in recent years over its contracts with the U.S.

and Israeli militaries for cloud services. The company insists its AI is not used to harm humans, but the Pentagon’s AI chief recently told TechCrunch that some AI models developed by private companies are accelerating the U.S. military’s kill chain.

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And Google is not alone. Several technology companies have established collaborations with the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, focusing on AI development for weapon systems.

OpenAI last week announced a partnership with the U.S. government to use AI for nuclear weapon security and training of American military. 

Anduril Industries: Founded in 2017, Anduril specializes in AI-driven defense technologies. The company has developed autonomous systems such as drones and surveillance platforms, all powered by its AI-driven Lattice OS. These systems are designed for applications including surveillance and combat operations.

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OpenAI: In December 2024, OpenAI partnered with Anduril to integrate its AI models into the U.S. military's counter-drone systems. This collaboration aims to enhance the detection and neutralization of drone threats, marking OpenAI's significant involvement in defense-related AI applications.

Palantir Technologies: Palantir has a history of providing AI-driven data analytics platforms to the U.S. military. In December 2024, Palantir and Anduril announced a partnership to combine their AI technologies for national security applications, further strengthening their roles in developing AI for defense purposes.

Meta, Microsoft and Amazon, too, have benefitted from juicy contracts with the Pentagon.

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