TLDR
- Google is negotiating with the Pentagon to deploy its Gemini AI in classified settings.
- The deal would allow the military to use Google AI for “all lawful purposes.”
- Google is pushing for contract terms banning use in domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons without human oversight.
- The proposed terms are similar to a deal OpenAI already signed with the Pentagon.
- Alphabet and the Pentagon have not yet publicly confirmed or commented on the talks.
Google is in active talks with the U.S. Department of Defense to allow the military to run its Gemini AI models in classified environments, according to a report from The Information, citing two people with direct knowledge of the talks.
The Information: Google is in talks with the Pentagon on a deal to use Gemini in classified settings, expanding its defense ties as it pushes deeper into military AI. The report says the discussions could allow use of $GOOGL AI for all lawful uses, if an agreement is reached. pic.twitter.com/iuU7YCXdWo
— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) April 16, 2026
The discussions mark a notable shift for Google, which has historically kept its distance from military contracts. The company faced backlash in 2018 after employees protested its involvement in Project Maven, a military drone AI program. Google later pulled back from that work.
This time around, the approach looks different.
The proposed deal would let the Pentagon use Google’s AI for a wide range of lawful purposes. Google has pushed for protective language in the contract that would restrict its AI from being used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons systems that operate without proper human control.
Google’s Terms Mirror OpenAI Deal
The conditions Google is proposing track closely with terms OpenAI already secured with the Pentagon earlier this year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly asked the Defense Department to offer identical terms to all AI companies, aiming to create a level playing field across the industry.
Whether Google’s proposed guardrails will make it into the final contract is still unclear. The talks are ongoing, and neither Alphabet nor the Pentagon responded to requests for comment.
The Pentagon’s interest in AI is accelerating. The Trump administration has pushed the military to embed artificial intelligence across its operations to cut costs and speed up administrative and decision-making processes.
A deal with Google would expand Alphabet’s footprint in the government sector, where competition among AI companies for federal contracts has been intensifying.
Anthropic Standoff Adds Context
The talks come against the backdrop of a separate dispute between the Pentagon and Anthropic. In January, Anthropic refused to loosen safety restrictions on its AI systems at the Pentagon’s request. The Defense Department responded by labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk, which put its government contracts in jeopardy.
That standoff highlighted the tension between AI safety practices and military expectations for flexible, unrestricted AI deployment.
Google’s proposed language around surveillance and autonomous weapons suggests it’s trying to navigate that tension carefully, securing protections up front rather than facing the same friction Anthropic ran into.
President Trump has also ordered the Defense Department to rename itself the Department of War, though that change requires an act of Congress and has not yet taken effect.
Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL) was down slightly on the day, falling 0.08% at the time of reporting.
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