Military AI device development: Meta collaborates with arms manufacturer on technology for military personnel
Meta Partners with Defense Startup Anduril to Develop AI-powered Devices for Soldiers
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a collaboration with defense startup Anduril to develop advanced AI-equipped technologies for soldier gear. The partnership aims to capitalize on Meta's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) hardware, combined with Anduril's expertise in autonomous systems and command-and-control platforms.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed the company's pride in working with Anduril to provide these technologies to American soldiers who safeguard national interests at home and abroad. The initiative seeks to improve soldiers' situational awareness and streamline the control of autonomous systems.
The collaboration will likely manifest in the form of AR glasses or visors, which will incorporate Meta's AR and AI technologies with Anduril's data analysis platform, Lattice. Lattice is an AI-assisted command and control system designed to provide real-time battlefield information for decision-making.
According to Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril, the partnership signifies significant potential for AI and extended reality (XR) technologies to revolutionize military operations and protect national security. Luckey previously co-founded Oculus, a virtual reality company acquired by Facebook in 2014.
The partnership is privately funded, leveraging commercial hardware and software to expedite deployment timelines and reduce costs. It is also linked to the U.S. Army's IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) program, now named SBMC Next. Anduril assumed the IVAS contract from Microsoft.
Meta's involvement in the project represents its most significant foray into supplying critical hardware to the government, while Anduril's independent development of innovative defense products underscores the company's progressive approach in the industry. Both companies share a vision for the transformative potential of AI and XR technologies in safeguarding national interests.
The partnership between Meta and Anduril, rooted in AI, AR, and XR technologies, is set to revolutionize the military industry, as demonstrated by the development of AI-powered soldier gear. This collaboration aligns with Meta's employment policy, focusing on the application of their expertise in technology, as well as Anduril's, specializing in defense and finance sectors.
