Meta wants to create technology for the US military — WSJ

Meta plans to participate in the creation of new military technologies for the US Army. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company, together with Anduril Industries, a defense firm of Palmer Luckey, has applied for a project called EagleEye . The contract has not yet been awarded, but its value is estimated at about $ 100 million. It is part of a larger $ 22 billion Pentagon initiative aimed at developing wearable devices for the US Army, where Anduril is the prime contractor.

EagleEye envisages the creation of helmets, glasses and other wearable devices with augmented and virtual reality technologies. These gadgets will have sensors to improve the hearing and vision of soldiers. For example, they will help detect drones at a long distance or find hidden targets. Integration with artificial intelligence is also planned: the devices will allow the military to interact with autonomous weapon systems based on Anduril software and Meta AI models.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the technology would help "protect the country's interests both at home and abroad." Lucky himself is an active advocate for big tech companies to work with the military, and he said he has been able to convince Meta and many others of the importance of such cooperation.

Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR, once worked for Meta but was fired in 2017 after a scandal involving his anti-Clinton campaign contributions. He is now back at Meta. He is an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump and believes Anduril will do even better under his second administration.

As for Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckey founded it in 2017. Anduril develops advanced systems for the military and government, including autonomous drones, surveillance systems, sensors, and artificial intelligence software. In recent years, Anduril has won more than $6 billion in government contracts in various countries.