Google reaches agreement with US Defense Department to provide AI systems for classified military work

Google amended its contract with the Pentagon on Monday to allow its artificial intelligence systems to be used for classified military work, according to a Pentagon official and a person familiar with the matter.

The deal provides the Pentagon with API access (the ability to connect directly with Google's software) to the company's commercial models on Google infrastructure, but does not involve custom work or model development, a Google spokesperson said.

The agreement comes as hundreds of AI researchers at Google sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urging him to refuse to make the company's AI systems available for classified defense workloads, citing concerns that such systems can centralize power and make mistakes.