AI News Monitor

Meta is joining forces with defense technology startup Anduril Industries to develop military products that harness artificial intelligence and augmented reality, the companies announced on Thursday. The collaboration aims to provide soldiers with real-time battlefield intelligence, enhancing decision-making in combat.

Anduril, founded by Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey, said the new systems will “transform how warfighters see, sense and integrate battlefield information.” The California-based company, known for its autonomous weapons and AI-driven defense systems, has sought to differentiate itself from traditional defense contractors by self-funding its innovations rather than relying on government contracts.

“This integration will save countless lives and dollars,” Luckey, 32, said in a social media post, citing Meta’s expertise in virtual and augmented reality.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg echoed the sentiment, stating that the company’s decade-long investment in AI and AR positions it to support military applications. “We’re proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American servicemembers that protect our interests at home and abroad,” he said.

Anduril, founded in 2017, has rapidly gained prominence in the defense sector with its unmanned systems capable of identifying and engaging targets autonomously. Luckey, who sold Oculus to Meta (then Facebook) for $2.3 billion in 2014, has been vocal about the necessity of AI in modern warfare.

“It’s a scary idea, but that’s the world we live in,” Luckey said in a recent 60 Minutes interview. “It’s a lot scarier to imagine a weapons system that doesn’t have any level of intelligence at all.”

The partnership underscores the growing intersection between Silicon Valley’s tech giants and the defense industry, raising both strategic possibilities and ethical questions about the role of AI in warfare.