American IT firms now at Pentagon's service: Expert
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American IT companies, led by Alphabet, are shifting their stance on AI, now working with the US military, as noted by expert Alexander Stepanov.
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In this July 17, 2006 file photo, Google workers walk by a Google sign at company headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. (AP)
American IT companies are reversing their stance on artificial intelligence in weapons development, now partnering with the US military, reported Alexander Stepanov, program director at the Academy of Political Sciences and senior researcher at the Institute of Latin America, Russian Academy of Sciences, in his TASS column.
"Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is renouncing its previous principle of not developing products that may harm life and health," Stepanov said.
"In practice, we can say that now the entire US technology cluster, the entire IT industry, is actively involved in contracts not only from the Pentagon but also from the entire American military bloc," he stressed.
AI’s versatility in military use
Stepanov noted that AI algorithms are versatile and capable of adapting to various tasks, including military ones. He added that this trend of military-civilian integration has occurred before but is now actively supported by newly elected President Donald Trump, whose aggressive diplomacy suggests a willingness to use all means at his disposal.
The expert also pointed out that Google, as a major player in global tech, creates new opportunities for targeted information collection, including identifying critical infrastructure targets such as logistics, civil, and energy systems.
"These possibilities are provided by large data collection, identification of communication channels, and access to closed network circuits," Stepanov explained.
He concluded by stating that Google and other US tech companies now face a difficult choice: "Either they work for the military and political interests of the Trump administration, or lose access to government funding."
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