Andrew Ng, the founder and former leader of Google Brain, has expressed support for Google's recent decision to drop its pledge not to build AI systems for weapons. Ng made his comments during an on-stage interview at the Military Veteran Startup Conference in San Francisco, stating that he is "very glad" that Google has changed its stance.

Earlier this week, Google deleted a seven-year-old pledge from its AI principles webpage, which promised the company would not design AI for weapons or surveillance. The move was accompanied by a blog post from DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, who emphasized the need for companies and governments to work together to build AI that "supports national security."

Ng's comments are notable, given his influential role in shaping Google's AI efforts. He did not work at Google during the Project Maven protests in 2018, which saw thousands of employees protest the company's contracts with the U.S. military. However, Ng has been a vocal advocate for AI development and has spoken out frequently on AI policy.

Ng argued that the real key to American AI safety is to ensure the country can compete with China technologically. He noted that AI drones would "completely revolutionize the battlefield," and expressed gratitude that two AI regulatory efforts – the vetoed California bill, SB 1047, and overturned Biden's AI executive order – were no longer in play. Ng had previously argued that these measures would slow down open source AI development in America.

Ng is not the only former Google executive to support the military's use of AI. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt now lobbies Washington D.C. to purchase AI drones to compete with China, and his company, White Stork, may eventually supply those drones.

However, the topic of AI in weapons has long been a contentious issue within Google. Meredith Whittaker, who led the Maven protests in 2018, has spoken out against the company's involvement in military projects. Other notable Google executives, including Geoffrey Hinton and Jeff Dean, have also expressed reservations about the use of AI in weapons.

In recent years, Google and Amazon have faced renewed scrutiny for their military work, including their Project Nimbus contracts with the Israeli government. Employees of both cloud providers staged sit-ins last year to protest Project Nimbus, under which Google and Amazon reportedly provided cloud computing services to the Israeli Defense Force.

The Pentagon and militaries around the globe have a renewed appetite to use AI, according to the Department of Defense's chief AI officer. As Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other tech giants invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure, many are looking to recoup that investment through military partnerships. The debate surrounding AI in weapons is likely to continue, with proponents arguing that it is essential for national security, and critics warning of the risks of autonomous weapons.

As the tech industry continues to grapple with the implications of AI development, Ng's comments serve as a reminder of the complex and often conflicting views within the sector. While some see AI as a key component of national security, others are deeply concerned about the potential risks and consequences of its use in weapons.