Vivold Consulting
June 25, 2025

Tech swarms Pentagon

Major AI firms, including OpenAI, are pursuing defense contracts and collaborating with the Pentagon amid growing global instability.
The document discusses the accelerating cooperation between the U.S. tech industry and the Pentagon amid growing global instability and the increasing strategic importance of artificial intelligence (AI). Under the influence of the Trump administration's defense spending and modernization initiatives, major AI firms like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic are pursuing defense contracts. Notably, tech executives from Meta, OpenAI, and Palantir were commissioned as lieutenant colonels in a new Army Reserve unit to infuse Silicon Valley expertise into defense operations. OpenAI recently secured a $200 million Pentagon contract to develop advanced AI capabilities. This alignment represents a historical cycle of tech-defense collaboration dating back to the post-WWII era. Simultaneously, OpenAI warns that China’s Zhipu AI is lobbying developing nations to adopt Chinese AI systems over Western alternatives, emphasizing a strategic global tech rivalry. Domestically, the AI field is evolving rapidly; a new report notes that 1 in 8 workers now use AI monthly, though model lifespans are brief due to intense competition and innovation. Additional updates include a partial legal win on AI-related copyright issues and a study highlighting the environmental impact of AI data centers. Overall, the intersection of technology, defense, and geopolitics is intensifying as AI reshapes global power dynamics.