Google's controversial drone deal with Pentagon proves to be hugely lucrative
“Do not be evil” was once the motto of Google but that has been removed from Google’s code of conduct in the last two months. Perhaps not coincidentally just after a number of employees of the company have stepped off in response to the news that Google had a deal with the American Pentagon for Project Maven.
That project must ensure that the drones used by the Pentagon with the help of artificial intelligence supplied by Google can analyze large numbers of images. That did not bother a lot of Google employees and after protesting nothing, they went. Then top lady Diana Greene told the rest of the Google people that it was purely defensive technology and that Google only had a contract for 9 million dollars.
Lies and money
That does not seem to be true now. A number of leaked e-mails (that you get at Google) now show that Project Maven will raise 15 million dollars in the first year and a half, but that the revenues will rise exponentially in the time thereafter. The mails state that as the project grows, the expected expenses are estimated at an incredible $ 250 million a year, according to The Intercept.
So you see again that every slogan can be bought off, if only it yields enough. In the meantime, the Pentagon has already transferred 100 million dollars extra to Google for Project Maven. Amazon had apparently also been in the running for the contract, but you expect it a bit more than Google. They knew that internally as well because, in the leaked e-mails, a strategy is also determined to minimize any damage from the leakage of the cooperation. So they knew that this would not work out well, but they kept it quiet for as long as possible. Do not be evil, indeed.