- The Pentagon confirms it is expanding the use of Google Gemini
- Gemini will be used for classified projects as part of the deal
- Over 700 Google employees have signed an open letter opposing the deal
Pentagon AI chief Cameron Stanley has confirmed the Department of Defense (DoD) has secured the use of Google’s Gemini AI model.
Gemini will be used for classified projects, CNBC reports, citing a source familiar with the matter. Google employees recently called on CEO Sundar Pichai to reject any use of Gemini for ‘classified purposes’.
The DoD has also recently expanded its AI capabilities to include offerings from OpenAI, with Stanley commenting, “Overreliance on one vendor is never a good thing. We’re seeing that, especially in software.”
Pentagon to use Gemini for classified projects
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” after the company refused to allow its Claude model to be used for “mass domestic surveillance” and “fully autonomous weapons” in its contract with the Pentagon.
The Pentagon then cancelled its $200 million contract with Anthropic, and the company's technology was banned from use by government contractors working on behalf of the US military. Anthropic is now engaged in a legal battle with the Pentagon over the designation.
In order to fill the gap left by Anthropic, the DoD has been working to secure the use of new AI tools from OpenAI and Google, alongside numerous other technology suppliers.
A Google spokesperson told CNBC, “We support government agencies across both classified and non-classified projects, applying our expertise to areas like logistics, cybersecurity, diplomatic translation, fleet maintenance, and the defense of critical infrastructure.”
The Pentagon is looking to leverage AI tools to maintain US hegemony on the global stage. “I have a personal quote that I usually say in these moments, you don’t cook a Thanksgiving turkey in the microwave,” Stanley said. “You need to have the right technology for the right use case to achieve the right outcome.”
