The chapter explores the shift of big tech companies towards developing technology for the US military, discussing ethical dilemmas and challenges faced in procurement processes. It examines the establishment of a Pentagon office in Silicon Valley to tap into faster technology innovations while highlighting the moral objections and controversies surrounding tech companies collaborating with the military, such as Google's Project Maven.
Record labels — including Sony, Universal and Warner — are suing two leading A.I. music generation companies, accusing them of copyright infringement. Mitch Glazier, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, the industry group representing the music labels, talks with us about the argument they are advancing. Then, we take a look at defense technology and discuss why Silicon Valley seems to be changing its tune about working with the military. Chris Kirchhoff, who ran a special Pentagon office in Silicon Valley, explains what he thinks is behind the shift. And finally, we play another round of HatGPT.
Guest:
- Mitch Glazier, chairman and chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America
- Chris Kirchhoff, founding partner of the Defense Innovation Unit and author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War
Additional Reading:
We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.