Google’s decision to ditch Project Maven is a grave error: opinion

The logo of Google is pictured during the Viva Tech start-up and technology summit in Paris, France, May 25, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

Google’s decision not to renew a contract to develop artificial intelligence for the US Defence Department was a victory for the employees who had protested it. It was also a defeat for US national security, patriotism, and the cause of limiting civilian casualties in war. 

The programme, officially named the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team but known in the Pentagon as Project Maven, uses machine-learning software to interpret video images and could improve the accuracy of drone strikes, among other things. Last month, around a dozen Google employees quit their jobs and thousands of others signed an open letter demanding the company exit the program because it “stands in direct opposition to our core values”.