Why Silicon Valley Got Cozy With the Military

Silicon Valley once resisted cooperating with the U.S. military. Google, Meta and OpenAI even had policies banning the use of AI in weapons.

Those days now feel like a bygone era, as Big Tech has now embraced working closely with the federal government during President Donald Trump’s second term, in large part due to lucrative contracts for military and surveillance technology.

This episode first aired on Sept. 3, 2025.

Links:

• The Militarization of Silicon Valley

Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.