In a game-changing development — one which underscores the convergence of big tech and the military-industrial complex — Meta, the corporate parent of the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, has entered into a strategic partnership with Anduril Industries, a defense technology upstart. The new partnership hopes to create and deploy advanced machine learning powered defense systems, which could signal a new generation of military technology.
The deal will combine Meta’s progress in artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) with Anduril’s experience in developing autonomous defense technologies and its AI-driven command and control software Lattice. This collaboration will initially create integrated extended reality (XR) capabilities for the warfighter, with specific focus on developing an advanced XR headset with features that are essential to the needs of military users in the field – including a minimal visual-impact wearable form factor, low-latency display, and an environment that is shaded in bright sunlight as well as an optical see-through ability for augmented reality overlays.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, noting: “For the last decade, Meta has been building AI and AR to deliver the computing platform of the future. We’re honored to collaborate with Anduril to help put these life-saving technologies into the hands of our American servicemen and women who defend our interests in the homeland and overseas.”
Founded by Palmer Luckey, who sold his virtual reality company, Oculus, to Facebook (now Meta) in 2014, Anduril has quickly become a big name in defense, drawing notice with a tech-first mentality. Unlike the traditional defense contractors, Anduril is all about rapidly developing and deploying what it calls high-value, AI-based technology at scale.
Meta’s AI and AR functionalities will merge with Anduril’s Lattice system, providing soldiers with real-time battlefield data for faster and more strategic decision-making. Such fusion might result in radically improved capabilities for things like target ID, threat assessment, and autonomous drone operation.
This partnership is also part of Meta’s broader push into the defense industry. Previously, Meta had changed its policy to allow American government agencies and their contractors that work on national security to access its large language models, such as Llama 3. This partnership with Anduril is a deeper move into building military technology.
The terms of the partnership have not been revealed in full, but both firms say the collaboration is being privately-funded to develop cost-effective proposals for the US military. Anduril has also landed several major defense contracts lately, including a potential $642 million contract with the U.S. Navy for counter-drone technology and an $86 million contract with Special Operations Command for integrating autonomy software.
Industry observers are suggesting the partnership will be capable of upending the conventional defense paradigm, as well as the growth of leaner, AI-driven military assets. words: link id ‘the cooperation of two tech giants like Meta formerly Facebook and an innovated defense company like Anduril’ With technology advancing at a blistering speed, the connection of a do-no-evil-like tech giant of Meta and innovative defense company like Anduril might open the door to the new AI-powerer defense time.
