Defense tech's hottest new weapon: company swag

"On your first day at a new tech company, you can probably expect one thing: a hefty package of company swag waiting at your desk. This merch - hats, T-shirts, the branded Patagonia vest of Wall Street's past - usually comes in drab navy, with an embroidered sans serif logo. As defense tech has risen in favor among venture capitalists and job seekers alike, some companies are pushing the concept further, designing cheeky swag that blurs the line between marketing and meme."

"Allen Control Systems, a defense tech startup, printed its core product, an AI-automated weapon station that shoots down drones, onto T-shirts with the slogan "if it flies, it dies." The company isn't just handing them out to employees and investors. It's selling them for $30 a pop. "People are wearing it on their first day of college," Steven Simoni, Allen Control Systems' president and cofounder, told Business Insider about his company's T-shirts and sweaters. "More kids are coming out of school who want to work in defense.""

"Such enthusiasm marks a sharp shift from just a few years ago: In 2018, thousands of Google employees protested the company's involvement with Project Maven, an AI collaboration with the Defense Department. At the time, Google pledged not to pursue AI for weapons or "surveillance violating internationally accepted norms." Earlier this year, though, the company updated its ethical AI guidelines and made no mention of those stipulations."

Defense technology companies increasingly create and sell branded merchandise to attract customers, recruit talent, and earn revenue. Startups like Allen Control Systems printed an AI-automated weapon station and the slogan "if it flies, it dies" on shirts and sold them for $30 each, generating thousands of dollars. Firms such as Anduril and Palantir also offer merch to court new fans. Trend reflects venture capital interest and growing acceptance of military tech careers among students. The shift contrasts with earlier employee protests at tech firms over defense contracts and evolving corporate ethics guidelines.

Read at Business Insider