Latest news with #Lattice
NDTV
a day ago
- Business
- NDTV
Mar Zuckerberg's Meta Is A Defence Contractor Now, Partners With Anduril For AI-Powered Products
Facebook and Instagram parent Meta has teamed up with defence startup, Anduril Industries, to develop military products that use artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). The military devices are expected to provide real-time battlefield intelligence to soldiers in the field, allowing them to make better decisions based on data, according to a CBS News report. "Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future. We're proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the release. The collaboration would see Meta's AR and AI tech fusing with Anduril's data analytics platform 'Lattice', into products such as glasses, goggles and visors. Palmer Luckey, 32, the brain behind Anduril, has previously worked with Meta. He joined the social media company in 2014 when it was still known as Facebook, following the acquisition of Oculus, a virtual reality headset business that he founded. Anduril in a statement said the company was working Meta to "design, build, and field a range of integrated XR (extended reality) products that provide warfighters with enhanced perception and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield'. Meta AI and military This is not the first instance when the Zuckerberg-owned company has hinted at its hard pivot towards defence and military-related programmes. In November last year, the company announced that US government agencies and contractors working on national security will get hold of the latest Llama 3 model. The company said it was playing its part in ensuring the safety and security of the United States by working with the likes of Lockheed Martin, IBM, Amazon, Microsoft and Oracle among others to make Llama available to the government. "As an American company, and one that owes its success in no small part to the entrepreneurial spirit and democratic values the United States upholds, Meta wants to play its part to support the safety, security and economic prosperity of America - and of its closest allies too," the company said. With the collaboration, the US military intends to use the power of AI to streamline logistics and track terrorist financing, as well as strengthen cyber defence.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
OpenAI argues to keep countersuit against Musk; Meta and Anduril to make MR gears for soldiers; Germany weighs 10% tax on online platforms
OpenAI argues to keep countersuit against Musk OpenAI said it should be allowed to keep its countersuit against billionaire Elon Musk, saying the Tesla CEO's motion to dismiss the ChatGPT maker's claims has 'no grounding in facts'. In a court filing late on Wednesday, OpenAI said its countersuit, which accuses Musk of engaging in fraudulent business practices under California law, should be included in the expedited trial, rather than put on hold. OpenAI has argued that a $97.4 billion takeover bid for the company earlier this year from a Musk-led consortium was a 'sham bid' aimed at drumming up media frenzy. OpenAI alleged the bid was leaked to the media before the proposal reached OpenAI's board. Last year, Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left before the firm became an AI juggernaut, sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over the company's transition to a for-profit model. He accused OpenAI of straying from its founding mission. Meta and Anduril to make MR gears for soldiers Meta and defence tech startup Anduril Industries on Thursday announced a partnership to build mixed reality gear for 'warfighters' (soldiers) to control autonomous systems on battlefields. Meta will incorporate augmented reality and AI, presumably in the likes of glasses, goggles, or visors, with an Anduril data analytics platform called Lattice, the companies said in a joint release. 'Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future,' Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said. 'We're proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad.' Since Trump took back the White House, Zuckerberg has courted the president with frequent visits and notable changes to corporate policies on matters like content moderation, aligning himself politically with the Republican administration. The Anduril alliance will have Meta taking part in courting the U.S. military. Germany weighs 10% tax on online platforms Germany is considering a 10% tax on platforms like Google and Facebook, its new minister of state for culture told magazine Stern, in a move likely to heighten trade tensions with the Trump administration. The proposal comes as Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to travel to Washington soon to meet with the U.S. President, although a trip has not yet been officially announced. Trump has in the past said he will not allow foreign governments to 'appropriate America's tax base for their own benefit'. Culture Minister of State Wolfram Weimer said officials were drafting a legislative proposal while also seeking talks with platform operators that he accused of 'cunning tax evasion' to explore alternative solutions like voluntary contributions. Germany's ruling parties agreed in a deal earlier this year to consider the introduction of a digital services levy, but this was not on the list of projects the coalition wants to prioritise.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta forays into defence sector, signs deal with Anduril for ‘AI, mixed reality gear'
Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta Platforms and defence technology startup Anduril Industries have announced a deal to develop 'mixed reality gear' to provide soldiers with enhanced control on the battlefields, according to reports. The development, will fuse Meta's augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) tech with Anduril's data analytics platform 'Lattice', into a product such as glasses, goggles or visors, AFP reported. 'Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future. We're proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad,' Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the release. Anduril describes its Lattice platform as an AI-powered command and control system that integrates data from thousands of sources to provide real-time battlefield intelligence for decision making. The partnership will include developing new products for US military use and includes an AI-powered helmet with virtual reality (VR) and AR features, according to a Bloomberg report. Anduril is working with Meta 'to design, build, and field a range of integrated XR products that provide warfighters with enhanced perception and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield', the company blog said. According to a report by Core Memory, at least one of the products will be a 'sci-fi-style military helmet' named 'Eagle Eye'. 'It's the thing that everyone's always wanted. People have called them different things: They've called them Call of Duty googles. They've called it, you know, the helmet from Halo. These are old ideas that have only recently become really technologically viable,' Palmer Luckey, the co-founder of Anduril, told Core Memory in an interview. Notably, Meta changed its 'acceptable use' policies in November to allow use of its large language AI models by US military contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. and Palantir Technologies Inc. A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Bloomberg said. Notably, Anduril's Luckey also co-founded Oculus VR, the gaming headset company he sold to Meta in 2014. He was removed from Meta after controversy around financing a group creating anti-Hillary Clinton memes ahead of the 2016 US presidential election. Since Donald Trump's re-election, Mark Zuckerberg's politics too have trended rightward. The tech billionaire also bought a $23 million residence in Washington DC. (With inputs from Agencies)
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Meta and Anduril join forces on battlefield tech
Meta and defence tech startup Anduril Industries on Thursday announced a partnership to build mixed reality gear for "warfighters" (soldiers) to control autonomous systems on battlefields. Meta will incorporate augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI), presumably in the likes of glasses, goggles, or visors, with an Anduril data analytics platform called Lattice, the companies said in a joint release. "Meta has spent the last decade building AI and AR to enable the computing platform of the future," Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in the release. "We're proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad." Since Trump took back the White House, Zuckerberg has courted the president with frequent visits and notable changes to corporate policies on matters like content moderation, aligning himself politically with the Republican administration. Zuckerberg also bought a $23 million residence in the U.S. capital. The Anduril alliance will have Meta taking part in courting the U.S. military. "I am glad to be working with Meta once again," said Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, who also co-founded virtual reality startup Oculus, bought in 2014 by what was then Facebook. "My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that," he said, referring to the idea of magicians who combine magic and technology. Luckey left Facebook in 2017, his departure coming after the social networking giant was hit with a big tab in a lawsuit over Oculus Rift virtual reality technology, and after he was criticized for covertly helping an online "troll" group that promoted memes in favor of Trump during the U.S. election a year earlier. Open support for Trump in Silicon Valley was scarce during that election, and some developers vowed not to create software for Rift virtual reality gear because of Luckey's pro-Trump efforts. Luckey went on to co-found California-based Anduril. Anduril describes its Lattice platform as an AI-powered command and control system that integrates data from thousands of sources to provide real-time battlefield intelligence for decision making. Big tech companies are increasingly waving the U.S. flag in Washington with Trump pushing his America First agenda. Leading this performance of nationalism are Meta, OpenAI and, more predictably, Palantir, the AI defence company founded by Peter Thiel, the conservative tech billionaire who has played a major role in Silicon Valley's rightward shift. Meta has touted AI models like its own as "essential for the US to win the AI race against China and ensure American AI dominance."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Meta working with Anduril on AR/VR military tech for soldiers
Meta (META) is moving beyond social media platforms and AR headsets and into the military-industrial complex. The company on Thursday announced it's teaming up with Palmer Luckey's Anduril ( to produce extended reality products for soldiers. The devices, Anduril said in a statement, will provide 'enhanced perception and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield.' Luckey founded Anduril in 2017 after he sold his VR headset company Oculus to Meta (then Facebook) in 2014 for $2.3 billion. The company primarily specializes in developing and deploying various forms of military drones. 'I am glad to be working with Meta once again,' Luckey said in a statement. 'Of all the areas where dual-use technology can make a difference for America, this is the one I am most excited about. My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that.' Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg began making a push into military and defense products when he opened up the company's Llama AI models for use by the government and contractors working on national defense projects. According to the companies, the new system will include an AR/VR interface that works with Anduril's Lattice analytics platform to feed soldiers information about the world around them. 'The world is entering a new era of computing that will give people access to limitless intelligence and extend their senses and perception in ways that have never been possible before,' Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said. 'Our national security benefits enormously from American industry bringing these technologies to life.' Meta isn't the first Big Tech company to enter the military space. Amazon (AMZN), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), and Microsoft (MSFT) provide cloud services to the US military. Microsoft also turned over work on Army's own AR/VR system to Anduril in February. Microsoft will also power the company's cloud services related to "IVAS and Anduril AI technologies." Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@ Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
