This is actually very interesting, being the first detailed info on this work that I have seen. First, the scale (dollars/FTEs) of the work (and proposed work)

This is actually very interesting, being the first detailed info on this work that I have seen. First, the scale (dollars/FTEs) of the work (and proposed work) seems larger than in some earlier reporting. Bizdev people will have incentive to boost projections, but even the current numbers seem higher. Second, the little fact that “...On October 27, 2017, a team from Google Cloud visited Beale Air Force Base...”. This indicates they were not just doing basic research, but they were trying to (eventually) field something operationally — not just develop basic technology and hand it off elsewhere for maturation. Also, the reciprocal visit of the uniformed general [2]. The presence of a general and entourage, probably also in uniform, makes a strong impression on civilian computer technologists. In the DoD world, there is a big difference between basic research (TRL 1-3, say [1]) versus TRL 4-5 (component demos) versus TRL 6-8 (operational tests). Basic research might be funded by DARPA and is pretty abstract, typically publishable in the open literature. As you work up toward operations, you start to deal directly with uniformed “warfighters” and realistic test environments. It’s a very different set of expectations. I think I understand better the reactions of many Googlers to the work described. (Note: not passing personal judgement - clearly I’ve spent some time in this milieu — just observing that this work and its trappings is not what many Googlers I have known would go for.) [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_readiness_level [2] http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/108830/major-general-john-nt-jack-shanahan/ http://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/10883...