Google and the Pentagon sign classified deal to give the Department of Defense unfettered access to its AI models

Google and the Pentagon sign classified deal to give the Department of Defense unfettered access to its AI models

https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-and-the-pentagon-sign-classified-deal-to-give-the-department-of-defense-unfettered-access-to-its-ai-models-155211834.html

Publish Date: 2026-04-28 11:52:00

Source Domain: www.engadget.com

• Google has signed a classified contract with the US Department of Defense to use its AI models for “any lawful government purpose.”
• An anonymous Google source claims that usage for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons is not permitted without appropriate human oversight.
• The contract reportedly does not grant Google any control or veto power over how the government uses the AI technology.
• Nearly 600 Google employees have written an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urging the company to reject these contracts due to concerns over misuse.
• The situation echoes a broader controversy involving other AI companies, like Anthropic, whose refusal to comply with government demands resulted in being blacklisted.
• Critics argue that the lack of control provided to Google over its AI’s applications by the government shows a lack of commitment to “appropriate human oversight and control.”