GoKawiilTwo new books examine Silicon Valley's deepening ties to the Pentagon
Steve Feldstein's Bytes and Bullets and Sharon Weinberger's Valley of Death, both published in 2026, explore how AI, drones and other emerging technologies are reshaping military competition among global powers. Weinberger's book traces how the Pentagon helped fund early tech firms that later grew wealthy and independent enough to negotiate with the defence establishment on their own terms, a dynamic she terms the Pentagon-Silicon relationship.
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The books suggest that today's technology giants are no longer simple contractors but partners with leverage over military procurement, which could reshape how governments acquire and deploy advanced weapons systems. Weinberger's account implies that the balance of power between the state and private tech has shifted, with founders and investors holding more autonomy than traditional defence contractors ever had.
- Two 2026 books analyze AI and tech's growing role in modern warfare and geopolitics.
- Weinberger argues the Pentagon historically nurtured Silicon Valley firms that later gained independent wealth and influence.
- Feldstein examines case studies like Israeli drone technology and prototypes tested in Ukraine.
Source: nature.com — Stokel-Walker, 2026-10-05
Published there as: “How big tech is building a military–industrial complex in the age of AI”
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