Military weapons and applications have ceased to be the great taboo of AI. There is too much money at stake

“These are my principles. If you don’t like it, I have others.” The famous phrase of Groucho Marx seems to be now the mantra of the AI ​​companies, which until not long ago were contrary to the application of AI for military and military purposes. That has changed for a simple reason: money.

Google. As we explained just a few hours ago, Google is no longer shown contrary to the use of AI for war purposes. It is demonstrated by the fact that you have eliminated its “principles for AI” the paragraph that Precisely indicated that would not apply such technology “to technologies that cause or can cause harm.”

They were other times. In April 2018, the controversy broke out when it was discovered that Google was collaborating with the Pentagon in the US for the development of A defense program called Project Maven. More than 3,000 Google employees openly protested An open letterwhich ended up causing a striking reaction by the firm: they set back and They canceled the project.

Don’s Be Evil. That event seemed to return us to Google’s original mantra with his famous “Don’s Be Evil” (“Don’t be evil”). That message ended up being very criticized for the clear transition from Google of Startup striking and promising to a traditional company in which the Account Sheet is the absolute priority.

The greats of AI want to take advantage of the reef. Google is not the first nor will it be the last to consider the development of AI systems for war purposes. Before she saw several cases. Anthropic It has been associated With Palantir –Like Microsoft– And AWS to offer its Claude model to US intelligence and defense agencies advertisement new terms with the same objective. OpenAi too has modified its terms of use and already negotiate contracts with the DOD,

A lot of money at stake (but it could be much more). Military expenditure remains extraordinary, and the contracts of the US government agencies related to AI systems grew in the US 1,200% between 2022 and 2023. It is expected That in 2025 the expense (estimated at 1.8 billion dollars) is at least the same, and the priority of using this type of technology is high. It is an almost residual figure, especially considering that since 2023 the US military budget round the 830,000 million dollars.

Be careful with the red button. In September 2024 it was held in South Korea The Reaim Summit on the potential use of AI systems for war purposes. The fundamental question that the Assistance countries were raised was if machines should make decisions about the use of nuclear weapons. Except for Chinathe rest of the countries were clear that the red button should only be able to press a human being. Russia also did not participate in the summit: it was banned by the Ukraine War.

For an ethical use of the AI ​​in war conflicts. The countries that participated in the summit also signed an agreement under which the capacities of AI in the military field “must be applied in accordance with applicable national and international law. IA applications must be ethical and focused on the human being.”

But weapons with AI have been on the battlefield for some time. It is demonstrated by the fact that technology is an integral part of the Ukraine War. Beyond the surprise to meet Steam Decks controlling powerful machine gunsin the conflict they are used for example Autonomous drones with AI They are able to set the goal and then attack it.

And the regulation, what? The acquaintance Law of AI of the European Union precisely exempts (article 2, section 3) of these obligations to the AI ​​systems that are used exclusively for military, defense or national security purposes, regardless of whether they develop or use by public or private entities.

What does the Ministry of Defense of Spain say. In a recent statement from the Spanish Ministry of Defense It is spoken precisely of the career of the military AI and “the marathon of human norms to regulate it”. There the conclusions of the Reaim Summit are reaffirmed: AI can be used for military purposes, but always guaranteeing “that AI does not threaten peace, security and world stability, do not violate human rights, do not avoid human control and do not hinder Other initiatives related to military technology. “

Image | Airman Magazine | United States Air Force

In Xataka | China is the country that has increased its nuclear arsenal. Now ask the US and its allies