Chief technology officer of Meta Platforms Inc Andrew Bosworth indicated that attitudes in Silicon Valley toward collaboration with the US military are changing.

At the Bloomberg Tech Summit in San Francisco, Bosworth noted that a “silent majority” within the tech industry has historically supported defense initiatives.

He referenced Silicon Valley’s origins in military development. He observed a growing willingness to re-engage in such collaborations.

Last week, Meta announced a partnership with defense contractor Anduril Industries Inc. to develop products for the US military.

This collaboration includes an AI-powered helmet that uses augmented and virtual reality technology.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Silicon Valley’s return to military roots is historically consistent

Bosworth’s characterization of a “return to grace” is historically accurate, as Silicon Valley was built on military contracts and research.

Stanford University’s Applied Electronics Lab, established during the Cold War, developed crucial military technologies including electronic intelligence systems and jammers that powered America’s defense capabilities in the 1950s and 1960s1.

This military foundation was economically transformative. For instance, Lockheed’s Missiles Division in Sunnyvale grew from zero employees in 1956 to 28,000 by 1965, fundamentally reshaping the region’s economy around defense technology2.

The military’s role as a venture capitalist was essential to Silicon Valley’s formation. Government funding developed foundational technologies including microchips, the internet, and GPS through agencies like DARPA3.

Historian Leslie Berlin notes that “all modern high tech has the US Department of Defense to thank at its core,” highlighting how the current trend represents Silicon Valley reconnecting with its historical origins rather than charting new territory4.

2️⃣ Tech-military collaboration follows cyclical patterns tied to geopolitical realities

The shifting attitudes Bosworth describes follow a documented pattern that mirrors broader geopolitical circumstances and economic interests.

Just six years ago, Google faced intense internal backlash over Project Maven, with 4,000 employees signing an open letter demanding withdrawal from the Pentagon AI initiative—a stark contrast to Meta’s new embrace of military partnerships4.