In a move that starkly illustrates the growing disconnect between stated AI ethics and practical implementation, two industry leaders have made significant military pivots: Meta and Scale AI have announced Defense Llama, a military-focused variant of the Llama 3 model, while Anthropic has partnered with Palantir and AWS for military intelligence applications. These developments come mere days after Meta publicly condemned “unauthorized” military applications of their models by Chinese researchers, and following Anthropic’s long-standing positioning as a leader in AI safety. The parallel shifts highlight a troubling double standard in AI ethics and underscore a broader industry transformation. This report examines the implications of this selective enforcement and rapid commercialization of military AI, set against the backdrop of Geoffrey Hinton’s urgent warnings about unchecked military AI development and the broader global race for military AI supremacy.

AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton presents a critical analysis of artificial intelligence’s future, highlighting both its transformative potential and serious risks. While acknowledging AI’s capacity to enhance productivity, he warns of increasing economic disparities and significant workforce disruption in certain sectors. Hinton expresses concern about environmental impacts, military applications, and AI systems’ inherent drive for control. Most notably, he revises his timeline for superintelligent AI development from 50-100 years to potentially within 20 years. He advocates for immediate action, including increased safety research and international regulations, to ensure AI development benefits humanity while preventing catastrophic outcomes.