Google requests meeting with top US general amid China AI debate

Google's relationship with the Pentagon has been strained since it retreated from an AI defence contract last year following employee protests

Google has requested a meeting with a top US general as political tension rises over the internet giant’s artificial intelligence work in China.

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that Google "indirectly benefits the Chinese military" and is planning to meet with the company over the matter. The Pentagon official cited a Google AI lab that opened in Beijing in 2017 as a cause of concern.

"In my judgment, us assisting the Chinese military in advancing technology is not in US national interests," Dunford said on Thursday at an Atlantic Council event. "So