INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightSteve JenningsImage caption
Top Google executive Diane Greene told staff on Friday there would be no
renewal of the contract (file pic)
Google will not renew a contract to do artificial intelligence work for the US Pentagon,
company sources say.The decision follows strong opposition in the technology giant's workforce
A number of Google employees resigned and thousands of others signed a protest petition against taking part in the Pentagon project, known
They feared it was the first step towards using artificial intelligence for lethal purposes
There has been no official statement from Google
According to company sources, top executive Diane Greene told staff on Friday there would be no follow-up after the current contract expired
next March.But Kate Conger, a journalist for the technology news website Gizmodo, told the TheIndianSubcontinent that Google had not
cancelled Project Maven and did not appear to have ruled out future work with the military.The contract is reported to be worth less than
learning and engineering talent to distinguish people and objects in drone videos.In April up to 4,000 Google employees signed an open
letter saying that by its involvement in the project the internet giant was putting users' trust at risk, as well as ignoring its "moral and
ethical responsibility".A report by Gizmodo said that senior leadership at the company was deeply conflicted about the effects of the
partnership with the Pentagon.Internal emails suggested that executives saw the contract as a huge opportunity while being concerned about
how the company's involvement would be perceived, Gizmodo said.
