Microsoft's 50th Anniversary Marred by Employee Protests Over Military AI Contracts
Microsoft's landmark 50th anniversary celebrations were disrupted by employee protests against the company's AI military contracts, particularly with Israeli forces. The demonstrations, led by software engineers who later resigned, highlighted growing tensions around tech companies' involvement in defense partnerships.
Microsoft to Hand Over $22B Military Mixed-Reality Contract to Anduril
Microsoft plans to transfer its $22 billion IVAS military contract to defense tech company Anduril, pending government approval. The deal would give Anduril full control of the mixed-reality program while retaining Microsoft Azure as the cloud platform.
US Defense Department Blacklists Tencent as Military Company, Shares Tumble
Tencent Holdings faces severe market impact after being designated as a Chinese military company by the US Department of Defense. The tech giant's shares dropped over 7% following the announcement, which could lead to US exchange delisting and removal from global indexes.
China Develops Military AI Using Meta's Llama: Ethical Concerns Arise
Chinese researchers with military ties have created AI systems based on Meta's open-source Llama model for military applications. This development raises concerns about the unintended consequences of open-source AI and its potential misuse.