Project Maven was one of those projects. It developed technology that uses machine learning to recognize people and objects in videos from drones.
“Maven at the time was…a way of replacing human eyes by an automatic vision for the drone footage that was being used in the various Arab conflicts,” Dr. Schmidt said. “I viewed the use of that technology as a net positive for national security and a good partnership for Google.”
The project received widespread criticism. Google employees petitioned against Project Maven. Although Google claimed its AI was for “non-offensive purposes.” Then in June 2018, Project Maven was canceled.
Dr. Schmidt said he still believes technology that can help the military make better decisions was a “good thing.”
AI race includes military
The U.S. Department of Defence is still partnering in Silicon Valley. Because that’s where the technology is developing. And win the global AI arms race.
Seth Moulton chairs the US Future of Defence Task Force. He continues to urge tech companies to support the Department of Defence.
