Google has withdrawn from a US Department of Defense competition to develop voice-controlled drone-swarm technology, Bloomberg has reported.
The program, valued at up to $100 million, focuses on enabling operators to command multiple drones through natural language inputs.
According to Bloomberg, Google informed Washington of its decision in mid-February, citing internal resource prioritization.
The move followed an internal ethics review and came amid broader internal debate, with hundreds of the company’s AI researchers expressing concerns over the use of its technology in classified military operations.
The Pentagon initiative is jointly led by the US Special Operations Command and the Defense Innovation Unit.
It is structured as a multi-stage effort over roughly six months, with participating firms tasked with developing technologies that translate voice commands into executable actions for coordinated drone operations.
Later phases include capabilities such as shared situational awareness, target identification, and full mission execution from launch through engagement.
Other companies selected for the program include OpenAI, Palantir Technologies, and xAI.
Backlash From Tech Giants
The decision came amid tensions between US defense agencies and major tech firms over the use of advanced technologies, including AI models, in military applications.
This is particularly relevant in areas involving autonomous or potentially lethal systems, where concerns include reduced oversight, risks to fundamental rights, and targeting civilians based on data-driven patterns.
According to Bloomberg, Anthropic also submitted a proposal for the same Pentagon initiative and was not selected.
The company remains involved in a dispute with the US Department of Defense.
In March, a US federal judge questioned whether the Pentagon’s decision to designate Anthropic as a supply-chain risk was punitive, following the firm’s refusal to ease safeguards related to the use of its models in military surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Google’s Legacy
Google has faced repeated internal opposition over its involvement in defense-related work.
Earlier this year, more than 100 employees working on AI called on leadership to define clear limits on how its systems could be used in military contexts.
In a letter addressed to senior leadership at Google DeepMind, staff raised concerns about the potential use of Gemini AI in large-scale surveillance and other sensitive defense applications without meaningful human oversight.
In 2024, the company dismissed dozens of employees who protested a contract linked to Israel, arguing it could support military and intelligence activities affecting civilians in Gaza.
Similar concerns date back several years. In 2018, the Pentagon’s Project Maven prompted internal backlash, leading to resignations among senior staff and a petition signed by thousands of employees.
The program involved applying image recognition to drone footage to detect and track objects.
