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He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

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Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#71

Post by archagon »

ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #70
archagon wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least for now, these kinds of things are decided by voters and their representatives, not “people with guns,” and plenty of those voters reject increased proliferation of the national security apparatus. I would argue that if that ever changes, this country will no longer be worth defending.

I don't control any of that. I work for one of those big name tech cos. My comment isn't about being tough, it's about facing the reality that these companies won't be allowed to remain neutral (and my original comment expressed doubt that they're even neutral right now). edit: my comment makes less sense in light of your edit

Comment edited to remove snark. Thought to get it in before a reply came in, but got there too late. Sorry.

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#72

Post by MilStdJunkie »

fwip wrote: post #68
MilStdJunkie wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A company like Google (or Apple for that matter), with their own freewheeling project systems, would rather jump into an olympic pool filled with razor blades and used condoms before taking any amount of money from the hellish morass that is the defense procurement system. The instant you enter the MIC, kiss goodbye to any of your internal business systems - you will be re-writing the way you work every second of eve…

Google does do work for the military. Here is one source of many that came up from a quick Google search: https://techinquiry.org/?article=google-aerial

Yeah, that's via an OTA, which is basically - comparatively - free money. It's not a PoR (Program of Record). PoRs are where (many naive people think) all the money is. All those people are incorrect. It is, however, the PoR which will ruin your goddamn business when you sign it. Congratulations, that is now all you do.

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#73

Post by [deleted] »

Pfhortune wrote: post #46
ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #29

(American here) I don't know anything about Palmer Luckey or Anduril, but I do believe in a strong national defense. As an individual, I can do approximately zero to stop weapons from being used for offense, rather than defense. That is wildly unfortunate and tragic, but (false dichotomy incoming) I would choose that path for my country 100% of the time over being under-armed. "The strong do what they will while the…

As posted in another thread, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_boomerang

[deleted]

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#74

Post by ahmeneeroe-v2 »

archagon wrote: post #71
ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't control any of that. I work for one of those big name tech cos. My comment isn't about being tough, it's about facing the reality that these companies won't be allowed to remain neutral (and my original comment expressed doubt that they're even neutral right now). edit: my comment makes less sense in light of your edit

Comment edited to remove snark. Thought to get it in before a reply came in, but got there too late. Sorry.

ty! That was very gracious

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#75

Post by A_D_E_P_T »

FactKnower69 wrote: post #23
A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He is also a raging racist This is not at all true. And I'll add that what the man is doing with Anduril -- single-handedly working to modernize defense development and procurement -- is downright heroic. And long overdue, to say the very least. > Anduril tech is used for mass surveillance on US borders It's a tool, and almost certainly a more humane tool than the alternatives.

"Heroic" hahahaha

When you consider the extent of regulatory capture in the defense industry, the degree to which prime contractors have come to overspecialize in regulatory compliance and lobbying, and the nigh insurmountable barriers to entry for new firms -- you might reconsider.

Before Anduril was established, nobody was certain whether a company like that could even exist. A company, focused on defense projects, that doesn't just make software, but makes real things in the real world -- and that company operates along modern lines and isn't a bloated old MIC dinosaur. The odds were stacked heavily against them. But they're winning.

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#76

Post by stefan_ »

greenhearth wrote: post #14
A_D_E_P_T wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Submarines aren't exactly disposable plastic bags or straws; I don't expect they'll be mothballed that quickly, and there are doubtless secondary uses for them in research and undersea exploration. (Including industrial "exploration" for mineral and gas deposits.) The kind of fast material production you call a nightmare gives rise to all sorts of positive possibilities. Besides, there aren't that many unused tanks a…

Maybe you can contact these guys for tanks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Army_Depot . What positive possibilities are you talking about? I only see some version of an arms race, which is undoubtedly a human nightmare

These things go quite quickly in a contingency, nobody thought they would run out of Soviet MT-LB of all things yet here we are:

https://x.com/Jonpy99/status/1811839479172464929/photo/1

Now that we allow nuclear states to act with impunity, expect lots and lots more money going into stored hunks of metal

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#78

Post by vladgur »

ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #29

(American here) I don't know anything about Palmer Luckey or Anduril, but I do believe in a strong national defense. As an individual, I can do approximately zero to stop weapons from being used for offense, rather than defense. That is wildly unfortunate and tragic, but (false dichotomy incoming) I would choose that path for my country 100% of the time over being under-armed. "The strong do what they will while the…

Seeing what is happening in the world, I agree with you.

While America does not have a perfect history and is not a perfect system, there is no other country in the world right now that i would rather have overwhelming military advantage over others.

Not China, not Russia, Not any other country.

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#79

Post by AlexandrB »

ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #67
AlexandrB wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think there will come a time when we will have to bring them to heel. So what you're saying is that we need to restrain their freedom so we can protect their freedom?

No, I'm not saying that at all.

Then what are you saying? If I as an individual don't want to "work with the national security community", that's my right. If they want to compel me to do so, they have to go through the judicial system and get a warrant. At what organizational size should a corporation be "brought to heel" and the right to refuse to do something for the government (without sufficient legal reason) go away?

Re: He created Oculus headsets as a teenager, now he makes AI weapons for Ukraine

#80

Post by ahmeneeroe-v2 »

AlexandrB wrote: post #79
ahmeneeroe-v2 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, I'm not saying that at all.

Then what are you saying? If I as an individual don't want to "work with the national security community", that's my right. If they want to compel me to do so, they have to go through the judicial system and get a warrant. At what organizational size should a corporation be "brought to heel" and the right to refuse to do something for the government (without sufficient legal reason) go away?

Many (most? all?) nation-states have compulsory service, either triggered in a "draft" or always ongoing (e.g. all young people serve in some way after high school). So no, I don't believe that you as an individual have the right to not work with your nation's national security apparatus, regardless of where you reside. You may think this is only for young people but I think that's just been typical practice/need, not a matter of law.

Similarly, corporations have obligations to the state. In the US I believe this largely falls under the "Defense Production Act". My personal assumption is that most companies are more pragmatic than individuals and would accept some suggestions/requests to aid the state rather than risk disruption from a formal order to support the state; and the state has a lot of levers to make themselves persuasive.

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