Google has chosen not to continue its contract to carry out artificial intelligence work for the US Pentagon. Project Maven focuses on enhancing the interpretation of video images to improve the targeting capabilities of military drone strikes. The project’s algorithms use machine learning to further differentiate people from objects in drone videos.

When the £7.5m contract expires in March 2019, Google will terminate its involvement with the project.

Among the reasons behind the decision were strong opposition from Google’s workforce. Thousands of employees had rallied against Google’s participation in the project, saying it is against the company’s ethical responsibilities. Opposers saw the project as a gateway for using artificial intelligence for destructive purposes, leading some staff to resign.

Google has yet to release an official statement.

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