Google will provide AI agents for non-classified work to the Pentagon

According to a report by Bloomberg citing a senior U.S. defense official, Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is introducing AI agents to the Pentagon's workforce to automate routine tasks.

Google's Gemini AI agents can independently complete tasks on behalf of users, who only need to set specific tasks for them. Emil Michael, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, stated that these AI agents will initially operate on non-classified networks.

Jim Kelly, Google's Vice President, stated in a blog post on Tuesday that this new feature will allow both civilian and military personnel at the Department of Defense to build AI agents using natural language. Google has faced internal criticism in the past for its collaboration with the Department of Defense.

In 2018, thousands of employees protested the company's involvement in Project Maven, a Pentagon initiative to use AI to analyze video data from overseas drone warfare. The backlash ultimately led to Google not renewing the contract for the project.