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Microsoft CEO Defends Pentagon Contract Following Employee Outcry (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the trying-to-calm-everyone-down dept.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is defending the company's $479 million contract with the Pentagon to supply augmented reality headsets to the U.S. military. "We made a principled decision that we're not going to withhold technology from institutions that we have elected in democracies to protect the freedoms we enjoy," he told CNN Business at Mobile World Congress. "We were very transparent about that decision and we'll continue to have that dialogue [with employees]," he added during the exclusive interview. From the report: Microsoft was awarded the contract to supply "Integrated Visual Augmentation System" prototypes to the U.S. military in November. The company could eventually deliver over 100,000 headsets under the contract. Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality technology allows users to see the world around them, but with virtual graphics overlaid. The Israeli military, which has taken delivery of some HoloLens headsets, says the technology can be used to help commanders visualize the battlefield and field medics to consult doctors. According to procurement documents, the U.S. military is seeking a single platform that provides its forces with "increased lethality, mobility and situational awareness" in combat. Microsoft employees have recently circulated a letter addressed to Nadella and Brad Smith, the company's president and chief legal officer, arguing that the company should not supply its HoloLens technology to the U.S. military. "It's not about taking arbitrary action by a single company, it's not about 50 people or 100 people or even 100,000 people in a company," he said. "It's really about being a responsible corporate citizen in a democracy."

6 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Modern tech started with the US Military by known_coward_69 · · Score: 4, Informative

    If it wasn't for the armed forces investing lots of money in this stuff in the last 3/4 of a century most of you kiddies wouldn't have a job today except maybe factory work

    Intel started making memory chips for Minuteman missiles

    the internet and everything around it was originally a DoD program to build a network that could survive a nuclear war

    CPU development was originally financed by the military

    The ENIAC was built to calculate artillery fire tables

    NASA was a civilian program to build ballistic missiles that just happened to buy lots of then new mainframes

      DARPA funded the original AI and machine learning research as part of the war in Afghanistan.

    the US military was one of Microsoft's first customers and even used Windows and SQL server on ships in the 90's.

    The Army was buying tens of thousands of Exchange and office licenses in the 90's.

    1. Re:Modern tech started with the US Military by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Informative

      Nah. Porn would have picked up the slack.

      Porn is a consumer of tech, and provides market incentives for innovations, but they don't fund research.

      Porn drove wide adoption of VCRs and DVDs, but pornographers exploited the tech, they did not create it.

    2. Re:Modern tech started with the US Military by kenh · · Score: 3, Informative

      CPU development was originally financed by the military

      First CPU, the 4004, was developed for a calculator

      --
      Ken
    3. Re:Modern tech started with the US Military by JBMcB · · Score: 3, Informative

      CPU development was originally financed by the military

      First CPU, the 4004, was developed for a calculator

      That was the first microprocessor, not CPU. The first small-scale integrated CPUs were designed for missile guidance systems.

      --
      My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
    4. Re: Modern tech started with the US Military by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Officially. When dipshits like you post that, you always forget to put in the "officially". And when you read through the link you posted, they admit, it doesn't include people who are in forced labor camps, reeducation camps and various other detention centers. Just prison.

  2. Enhanced by the soldier by CaptQuark · · Score: 3, Informative

    How about the computer that runs your tractor? The integrated circuits that control the hydraulics? The touch screen that configures much of the tractor? The synthetic lubricants in the engine? The joystick that controls the accessories? How about duck tape, weather radar, synthetic rubber tires, etc.

    Many of these technologies started in the military and then became general use items, thanks to military research and development.

    --