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Facebook parent Meta tech chief has a 'US military' reminder for Silicon Valley, says: Return to ...
Andrew Bosworth, CTO, Meta
Meta's chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth has issued a stark reminder to Silicon Valley about its foundational relationship with the US military, suggesting that a renewed partnership marks a "return to grace" for the tech industry. Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech Summit, Bosworth emphasised that the tech industry was originally built on military collaboration, and that a 'silent majority' in Silicon Valley has always supported defense projects. He emphasised that the region was essentially built on a "three-way investment between the military, academics, and private industry."
Meta's defense tech push
Bosworth's remarks follow Meta's recent partnership with
Anduril Industries
, a defense tech firm, to develop
AI-powered military gear
, including augmented reality helmets. He stated that Silicon Valley's roots in military innovation had been severed over time, but the industry is now reopening to defense collaborations.
"The effort has been funded through private capital, without taxpayer support, and is designed to save the US military billions of dollars by utilizing high-performance components and technology originally built for commercial use," Anduril said in its May statement.
Historically, many tech companies avoided military contracts, with employees protesting defense-related projects. However, Bosworth believes the tides have turned, and that patriotism and technological advancement can coexist.
Bosworth clarified that Meta's partnership with Anduril does not signal a shift toward defense contracting.
"They have a system within a program, and we're simply supplying them with components. Everything we're developing is designed for consumers, with a clear focus on consumer audiences," he stated.
He further explained, "A lot of this technology has potential for multi-use applications, and that's where I see an opportunity to build a partnership."
