Google to Scrub US Military Deal Protested by Employees

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Following an internal revolt, Google will no longer pursue a deal to help the US military use AI to analyze drone video. More than 4,600 employees called for Google to cancel the deal, and at least 13 employees resigned, blaming the company for being in the business of war.

The defense program, called Project Maven, set off a revolt inside Google, as factions of employees opposed Google technology being used in warfare. The dissidents said it clashed with the company’s stated principle of doing no harm and cited risks around using a nascent artificial intelligence technology in lethal situations.
 
Oh, and to prove they aren't even a teensy bit morally bankrupt they need to stop using anything that was created primarily as a weapon of/for use in war, like GPS, Microwaves, Cargo Pockets, Sanitary Napkins (cellulose bandages in WW1), Pressurised Cabins in air travel, and countless others.
 
Oh, and to prove they aren't even a teensy bit morally bankrupt they need to stop using anything that was created primarily as a weapon of/for use in war, like GPS, Microwaves, Cargo Pockets, Sanitary Napkins (cellulose bandages in WW1), Pressurised Cabins in air travel, and countless others.
Agreed this is idiotic. Also wouldn't you want them to have more accurate video analysis to NOT HIT INNOCENT CIVILIANS? But... hey...
 
Agreed this is idiotic. Also wouldn't you want them to have more accurate video analysis to NOT HIT INNOCENT CIVILIANS? But... hey...
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Proper identification to eliminate civilian casualties is just fucking immoral right? Less time spent trying to identify the target gives a larger time window to carry out the attack also. With early proper identification there would be the chance in some situations that they have the opportunity to take advantage of the increased time window to take a strike at a critical moment when the target is away from urban centers, while the target is in an enclosed vehicle on an isolated street, etc.

Let's not forget the friendly fire issues.

Increased accuracy has been the best way to minimize casualties by going from WWII-Vietnam style carpet bombing, to a single missile with a small warhead.

Refusing this puts the blood on their hands in their ignorant virtue signalling.
 
My guess is that Alphabet (still think that is a stupid name) will open up a shell company that houses engineers for government work without the other Google engineers knowing. They already do it with secret projects (a special lab division).

These government contracts are too juicy to pass up.
 
My guess is that Alphabet (still think that is a stupid name) will open up a shell company that houses engineers for government work without the other Google engineers knowing. They already do it with secret projects (a special lab division).

These government contracts are too juicy to pass up.

I certainly hope so. The US army can use all the help it can get. I wish that it will stay technologically ahead of others as much as possible. I like US power, I'd prefer them over China or Russia.
 
Would the same employees have protested if it was for the Chinese, Cuban, North Korean, Vietnamese or Laos militaries?
 
Google doesn't consider itself an American company. In a conflict between the US and China, I wouldn't expect Google to offer any aid to US military technology at all, in the name of neutrality. They are supranational, which is why their meddling in US politics is so dangerous.
 
Oh, and to prove they aren't even a teensy bit morally bankrupt they need to stop using anything that was created primarily as a weapon of/for use in war, like GPS, Microwaves, Cargo Pockets, Sanitary Napkins (cellulose bandages in WW1), Pressurised Cabins in air travel, and countless others.

Don't forget the Internet itself. Derived from research on arapnet, a DOD project. So in a way, Google owes its very existence to the organization it is now too full of itself to work with.
 
Would the same employees have protested if it was for the Chinese, Cuban, North Korean, Vietnamese or Laos militaries?
Google opened a new AI research facility in China. So it's just the USA they're against. Pathetic.
 
In other news Alphabet opened up a new studio Xoogle and they will be dedicated to working with the US military on AI, image enhancement, and Facial Recognition.
 
Agreed this is idiotic. Also wouldn't you want them to have more accurate video analysis to NOT HIT INNOCENT CIVILIANS? But... hey...

Precisely. I’m proud to work for a small company in the defense industry who has only had ONE person in 15 years leave...took em a while to realize what we build. These fools can’t even take one small step back and look at the lives they are saving. The project isn’t going to go away, just move suppliers. Resign, all 4600 of you idiots. But noooo, you like your wage etc, content, but not content enough apparently to spout liberal talking points at work.
 
Nice strawman.
Why? How is firing 4600 employees that are against their company engaging in the war and death business a morally superior choice vs listening to them and leaving the war and death business contracts? Sure sure move the goal post to say the AI program was to save lives, yeah yeah.. like those life saving bullets and life saving missles, and life savings nukes are next, but of course!
 
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Oh, and to prove they aren't even a teensy bit morally bankrupt they need to stop using anything that was created primarily as a weapon of/for use in war, like GPS, Microwaves, Cargo Pockets, Sanitary Napkins (cellulose bandages in WW1), Pressurised Cabins in air travel, and countless others.

Are you saying what we need is more war? You're welcome to move to the near east. I hear Yemen is pretty great during this time of the year. Bombs and all.

Agreed this is idiotic. Also wouldn't you want them to have more accurate video analysis to NOT HIT INNOCENT CIVILIANS? But... hey...

Like the military types give a fuck about the innocent civilians. Please.
 
Another reason to divest myself of anything related to google.
 
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Refusing this puts the blood on their hands in their ignorant virtue signalling.

A private company isn't obligated to do anything for the US government.
Accept their decision and move on. How would like it if they asked for tech that went against your purpose of use? You think doing it for the government makes it right?

Let companies that want to do business with the government do the job.
 
google is like a foreign communist company colleting data on us citizens, why you guys even give a pass to it i dont get it.
 
Are you saying what we need is more war? You're welcome to move to the near east. I hear Yemen is pretty great during this time of the year. Bombs and all.



Like the military types give a fuck about the innocent civilians. Please.

As a retired "military type" we care very much for innocent civilians. And most "military types" don't want war. It's dangerous, dirty, and what you've seen, heard, done, and not done, stays a part of you forever. And if we are forced to fight we want it to be swift, precisely targeted, decisive, and with as little/no collateral damage as possible.

My statement simply means that if they don't want to "Be in the business of war" they shouldn't profit from the business of war either. I'll start with Google location services using GPS signals FROM MILITARY SATELITES.

edit: and analyzing drone footage would have far-reaching implications at all levels. The tech could be adapted for law enforcement, wildland firefighting, farming, ecological study, traffic flow, etc.
 
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Since when did enormous enterprises start asking their employees how they feel?
 
Please elaborate how Google is Communist.

is like meaning behaves like, not like an american company, more like a chinese one with their values in their country, or from whatever other socialist based country.
 
is like meaning behaves like, not like an american company, more like a chinese one with their values in their country, or from whatever other socialist based country.
I guess I just don't understand how Google appears to be Communist. It's one of the most profitable companies on earth, most of the wealth goes towards the top, and bottom line still rules the day. That's the case with almost every major corporation out there. Every company does have their own company culture, but I think it's a stretch to compare it to a communist one. Harvesting data on its citizens is practiced pretty much globally in all major corporations now, including Democracies and Republics. I guess I just don't get what the is difference between Google, compared to say Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple, that's so extreme "Communism" comes to mind instead of just another giant global corporation based in America.
 
I guess I just don't understand how Google appears to be Communist. It's one of the most profitable companies on earth, most of the wealth goes towards the top, and bottom line still rules the day. That's the case with almost every major corporation out there. Every company does have their own company culture, but I think it's a stretch to compare it to a communist one. Harvesting data on its citizens is practiced pretty much globally in all major corporations now, including Democracies and Republics. I guess I just don't get what the is difference between Google, compared to say Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple, that's so extreme "Communism" comes to mind instead of just another giant global corporation based in America.

what can i say, enjoy your new freedom then.
 
what can i say, enjoy your new freedom then.
I'm not saying I LIKE any of this, I think it's very dystopian, my point was none of that is characteristic of "Communist" more than it is of any other government system.

If the police break into your house, rob you, then arrest you for no reason, you don't call that "Monarchy." Same concept.
 
I'm not saying I LIKE any of this, I think it's very dystopian, my point was none of that is characteristic of "Communist" more than it is of any other government system.

If the police break into your house, rob you, then arrest you for no reason, you don't call that "Monarchy." Same concept.

yeah, funny you forgetting to mention the censoring and pushing their own ideological shit akin to what socialist or communist dictatorships do.
 
yeah, funny you forgetting to mention the censoring and pushing their own ideological shit akin to what socialist or communist dictatorships do.
Except that's true of ANY dictatorship, regardless of the underlying ideology. You mention socialist dictatorships, you remove the dictatorship part and have a representative democracy instead, then the censorship and ideological mandate isn't what it's about more than any other democracy.

Anyway, what I was driving at is comparing Google to communism feels nuts to me, since even though it definitely has its own company culture that can get SJW-ish on identity issues sometimes, it's still about as capitalist as you can get overall.
 
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