There's another article on the site discussing Palmer Luckey's moves into military applications (1). Drawing from both articles, there's a concerning convergenc

There's another article on the site discussing Palmer Luckey's moves into military applications (1). Drawing from both articles, there's a concerning convergence that deserves attention: The way military AI development could accelerate the tech industry's disruption of democratic processes discussed in the first article. Consider the pattern: 1. As the first article shows, Silicon Valley has already accumulated unprecedented power over democratic institutions through consumer technologies 2. Now, through military contracts, companies like Anduril are gaining direct influence over national security infrastructure 3. The combination of agentic AI systems (that can control interfaces and take actions) with military applications creates a new power dynamic where tech companies aren't just influencing public opinion - they're potentially controlling military capabilities This is particularly troubling when viewed alongside Marietje Schaake's observation that Silicon Valley has become "the antithesis of what its early pioneers set out to be: from dismissing government to literally taking on equivalent functions." The military contracts represent an even more direct assumption of government functions. The dangerous feedback loop here is clear: - Tech companies gain power through consumer platforms - They leverage that influence to secure military contracts - Military contracts provide both funding and protection from regulation - This further increases their power over democratic institutions - The cycle continues, with each iteration reducing democratic oversight Luckey's casual attitude about using soldiers as compliant test subjects for new technologies perfectly exemplifies the kind of unaccountable power that the first article warns about. It's no longer just about controlling information flows - it's about controlling actual military capabilities without democratic oversight. This suggests that military AI contracts aren't just another revenue stream for tech companies - they're potentially a way to bypass democratic constraints altogether, accelerating the "tech coup" that Schaake warns about in her book. [1] https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/29/1106325/palmer-luckeys-vision-for-the-future-of-mixed-reality/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/29/1106325/palmer-l...