Deep State Zuck: Meta Gives Pentagon (and Friends) Access to AI Models

The New York Times reports that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has made a notable exception to its “acceptable use policy” by allowing the U.S. government and its allies to harness the company’s AI technology for military purposes. The decision aims to promote “responsible and ethical uses” of AI that support the United States and “democratic values” in the global race for AI supremacy.

According to Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, the company will make its AI models, known as Llama, available to federal agencies and defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen, Palantir, and Anduril. The Llama models are open-source, meaning that other developers, companies, and governments can freely copy and distribute the technology.

Meta’s move marks a departure from its previous stance, which prohibited the use of its AI software for military, warfare, and nuclear industries, among other purposes. The company believes that supporting the U.S. government and its closest allies in their use of AI serves both economic and security interests. Meta will share its technology with members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, in addition to the United States.

The decision to open-source its AI code has been part of Meta’s strategy to catch up with rivals like OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic in the AI race. As of August, Meta’s software has been downloaded more than 350 million times by third-party developers. However, this approach has also drawn scrutiny, as some argue that the technology behind AI software is too powerful and susceptible to misuse to be released openly.

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