Alphabet Inc’s Google has deepened its operational relationship with the United States Department of Defense (DoD), quietly signing a wide-ranging agreement to deploy artificial intelligence models in highly classified environments.
The move, first reported on Tuesday by tech publication The Information, citing a source familiar with the negotiations, signals a shift in the technological landscape. It strengthens the integration of commercial generative AI into military strategy and intelligence gathering. According to the report, the agreement allows the Pentagon to use Google’s most advanced models for “any lawful government purpose,” a broad mandate covering defensive logistics and potentially offensive cyber and intelligence operations.
Reuters could not independently verify the reported contract terms. Both Alphabet Inc. and the Department of Defense declined to comment. However, a spokesperson for Google Public Sector - the unit handling U.S. government business - told The Information the arrangement is an amendment to existing federal contracts.
Google’s move into classified AI marks the latest step in a multi-billion-dollar competition among major technology firms for Pentagon contracts. The U.S. military is seeking to modernise legacy systems to keep pace with technological advances by rivals, particularly China.
In late 2025, the Pentagon signed agreements worth up to $200 million each with leading AI developers, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google. With this new classified access, Google joins OpenAI and xAI in allowing their large language models to be used in “air-gapped” national security systems.
The Department of Defense has sought flexibility in procuring digital tools, aiming to avoid restrictions linked to ethical guidelines set by developers. Some technology leaders have previously warned against using AI systems for lethal applications, citing risks such as unreliable or inaccurate outputs.
For Google, the deal marks a notable shift. In 2018, the company faced internal protests over “Project Maven”, a DoD initiative using its image-recognition technology to analyse drone footage. Thousands of employees signed petitions opposing the project, arguing the company should not support military operations. Google later withdrew and introduced AI principles pledging not to develop technologies primarily intended to cause harm.
As the AI sector has expanded and financial stakes have risen, Alphabet’s leadership appears to have reassessed its position. The creation of Google Public Sector signalled renewed engagement with U.S. government work. Employee activism seen during the Project Maven controversy has since diminished amid restructuring, layoffs and growing geopolitical competition in AI.
The development comes amid broader shifts in Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for the Department of Defense to be renamed the “Department of War”, a term last used before 1947. Any change would require congressional approval and is likely to face debate, but it reflects an increasingly assertive national security stance and expectations for closer alignment with private technology partners.
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