A company acquired by Google that develops robots for the US military appears to have greatly reduced its dependence on government funding, suggesting a reluctance on Google’s part to align itself too closely with military projects.
When Google acquired Boston Dynamics last December, some questioned whether the firm’s military focus conflicted with Google’s pledge of ‘don’t be evil’ and the virtuous image it nurtures for itself.
The Internet giant said little to address the issue at the time and, perhaps illustrating the sensitivity of the topic, declined several requests this week to discuss Boston Dynamics and its work.
But an analysis of federal procurement records for unclassified projects shows Boston Dynamics has accepted vastly less government money in the eight months since it was acquired by Google.
In 2013, the company received $31.2 million in grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the US Army and the US Navy. That was roughly in line with the $33.2 million it received in 2012 and the $27.8 million in 2011.
But so far in 2014, Boston Dynamics has received just one payment, of $1.1 million, the records show. The money came from DARPA in April and was for participation in the organisation’s robotics challenge, which aims to stimulate robot research and attracts teams from around the world.
It’s unclear why the funding has dropped so sharply, but it suggests a reluctance by Google to pursue military projects and align itself publicly with the US government, especially when suspicion about clandestine government projects is running high.
Two weeks before the April payment, DARPA said that Tokyo-based Schaft, another robotics company acquired by Google last year, had decided to stop accepting military funding and would pay for its own work.
Receiving such government funding, particularly tied to military projects, can be an ethical quandary for scientists and others.
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