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Google has signed a deal with the US Department of Defense, Pentagon, that allows its artificial intelligence (AI) models to be used for classified government work, according to a report by The Information.
The agreement places Google alongside OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI as companies now supplying AI tools for sensitive military use.
Under the deal, the Pentagon can use Google’s AI for “any lawful government purpose”. That can include work carried out on classified networks, such as mission planning and weapons targeting.
The report said Google must also help adjust some of its AI safety settings and filters if requested by the government.
At the same time, the contract includes limits on how the technology should be used. It states that the AI system is not intended for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons, including target selection, without proper human oversight and control.
However, the agreement reportedly also says Google cannot block or overrule lawful operational decisions made by the government.
Google said it continues to support public sector customers across both classified and non-classified environments.
A company spokesperson said: “We believe that providing API access to our commercial models, including on Google infrastructure, with industry-standard practices and terms, represents a responsible approach to supporting national security.”
The spokesperson also said the company is strongly committed to the view that AI should not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weaponry without appropriate human oversight.
The Pentagon has previously said it does not want to use AI to monitor Americans on a mass scale or build weapons that operate entirely without people involved. Still, it has pushed for broad legal access to advanced AI systems.
The deal comes as competition grows among technology firms seeking defence contracts linked to AI.
In 2025, the Pentagon signed agreements worth up to $200 million each with several leading AI companies, including Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.
Anthropic later had some challenges after refusing to remove restrictions tied to autonomous weapons and surveillance. It was reportedly labelled a supply-chain risk.
Google’s decision may also revive internal stresses. More than 560 employees reportedly signed an open letter urging Chief Executive Sundar Pichai to reject military AI work.
The company faced a similar backlash in 2018 during Project Maven, when staff protested Google’s involvement in a Pentagon drone programme. Google later withdrew from that project.
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