When Tech Goes to War
Consumer tech is now military tech. What happens when we can’t opt out?
What we're thinking about
Last week, the U.S. Army Reserve swore in a number of tech executives as lieutenant colonels. They include Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, OpenAI's head of product Kevin Weil, Thinking Machines Lab advisor (and former OpenAI head of research) Bob McGrew and Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar. They will be part of Detachment 201, the Executive Innovation Corps, advising the military on technology strategy and AI. (Coincidentally, their companies will also be competing for defense contracts.)
Detachment 201 isn't an idea created by this most recent administration - it's been in development since 2023. It reflects a general shift toward military support in the technology sector. “Ten years ago, this probably would have gotten me canceled,” Weil told WIRED.
So what changed? One big reason is money. Tech companies are now seeking military applications as business opportunities, possibly needing the support of the Department of Defense to continue investing heavily in AI.
To be fair, consumer technology being supported by the military isn't really new either. Funding from the military helped create lasers, the internet, GPS and other technologies we use every day.
But one big difference is that lasers, the internet and GPS came from military applications that found new life in consumer use. Now, technology meant to make consumer's lives easier is being converted to technology meant to kill people. AI companies are lifting bans on military applications, and removing policy language about impact. The tech executives in Detachment 201 will be working against their own companies' initial missions of not harming others.
As builders, the question of whether to work on "lethal" technology is not new. Many of us joined civic +tech to improve government services, with the aim of aiding as many people as possible. But part of our government's responsibility is also national security, which involves having a robust defense system. Back in 2018, Code for America founder Jennifer Pahlka wrote about how "having poor tools doesn't make us fight less, it makes us fight badly."
We were always able to choose what to work on, but the current administration seems to be making that choice more limited. Defense spending is up in the new proposed budget, to a record-breaking $1 trillion. Meanwhile, services are being cut left and right, thanks to DOGE.
At the same time, we wonder about transparency and fairness in all this new activity. The current members in Detachment 201 were all recruited by Sankar, seemingly bypassing any competitive process.
In addition, the Defense Digital Service, a team created in 2015 to promote tech innovation inside the Pentagon, was effectively shut down in April 2025. All staff resigned after being "sidelined by DOGE." Who will be brought in to do what they did?
What we're reading, watching, or listening to
“My brain and I, we are not friends.” Many of us at WTB HQ are unapologetic Fredrik Backman superfans. His new book, My Friends, is another lyrical masterpiece that will break your heart and put it back together a dozen times. It also reminded us of Backman’s speech at the Simon & Schuster centennial. This one is a must-watch:
What's bringing us joy
Louisiana deputy helps a man tie his tie during a traffic stop.
Deputy Dustin Byers pulled over a speeding driver who explained he was on his way to a funeral and struggling to tie his tie. Instead of focusing on the ticket, the deputy paused to assist the man with his tie proving that small acts of kindness can change your whole perspective. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop judging and meet people where they are.
We want to hear from you
Do you have a rant to share about what's currently happening in the federal government? We want to hear from you! We'll work with you to write about it. Reach out to us at submissions@wethebuilders.org.
About this newsletter
This newsletter is posted by the We the Builders team and will be published weekly. We stand for an effective government that serves its people and we won't rest until the government is rebuilt, and built better.