Why Napalm Is a Cautionary Tale for Tech Giants Pursuing Military Contracts

Over the past few months, a fierce debate has erupted in Silicon Valley over whether large technology companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft should join forces with the United States military, along with agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The debate has largely been conducted along ethical lines. On one side are tech executives and many government officials, who argue that at a time when advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to reshape top issues like drone warfare or border security, American tech giants have a patriotic duty to pitch in. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, summed up this view last year: "If big tech companies are going to turn their back on the U.S. Department of Defense, this country is going to be in trouble." On the other side are groups of employees at those companies, including many anti-Trump progressives, who don't want their tools to be used for drone warfare, immigrant detention and other projects they consider immoral.