Google Secretly Supplies AI for Pentagon Drone Targeting Program
Google quietly provides artificial intelligence technology to the Defense Department to help analyze drone footage for targeting strikes against the Islamic State. The contract routes through a staffing firm to obscure the tech giant's involvement in the algorithmic warfare initiative.
Google quietly provides artificial intelligence technology to the Defense Department for a drone targeting project. The military contract routes through a Northern Virginia staffing company called ECS Federal, which obscures the relationship from the public. A cross-team collaboration within Google works to develop deep learning technology for this initiative.
The project is part of the Pentagon's Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team, code-named Project Maven. This initiative aims to accelerate the integration of big data and machine learning to turn enormous volumes of data into actionable intelligence. The first phase focuses on automating the identification and classification of images taken by the military's fleet of 1,100 drones.
Google applies its proprietary deep learning tools to help drone analysts interpret the massive amount of image data collected during surveillance missions. The technology flags images of cars, buildings, and people to provide analysts with increased ability to make informed decisions on the battlefield. This effort ultimately supports bombing strikes against the Islamic State.