"Working with the U.S. military used to be taboo for the tech sector. Employees at companies like Google agonized over working with the U.S. national security establishment, going as far as to launch protests against management. Times have changed: Now, U.S. tech companies, large and small, are happily partnering with U.S. government agencies. Both U.S. Big Tech and AI developers are signing deals with the Department of Defense (or the rechristened Department of War) and other national security agencies."
""Silicon Valley has really changed," Megan Milam, senior vice president of government relations at Anduril Industries, said Wednesday at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Park City, Utah. "We've gone from Anduril being the most controversial company in tech six years ago, to a lot of enthusiasm and excitement around what we're doing right now.""
""There's a ton of money being poured into defense from venture capitalists right now," said Steve Simoni, founder of Allen Control Systems, which designs robotic weaponry. "Conflict is rising, and as a venture investor, it seems like you better put some chips down or you're going to miss out.""
U.S. technology companies increasingly partner with national security agencies and defense contractors, reversing earlier resistance to military work. Large tech firms and AI developers are signing deals with the Department of Defense while investors back defense-focused startups such as Palantir and Anduril. Industry leaders attribute the shift to rising global conflicts, including Russia's war in Ukraine, and renewed great-power competition with China. Venture capital is flowing into weapons-related robotics and other defense technologies as entrepreneurs and investors pursue opportunities. Global military spending reached $2.7 trillion in 2024, with the United States accounting for about 37% and China roughly 12%.
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