It is safe to say that the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are very different places. But that gap could harm U.S. national security. Defense News takes an in-depth look at the problem and it could be fixed.

WASHINGTON — For the second time in a week, the Pentagon’s top uniformed officer has taken a shot at Google, warning that the tech company’s investments in China are doing long-term damage to America’s security.








“I just think we need to have a debate about that. We ought not to think that it is just about business when we do business in China,” he said. “This is about us looking at the second- and third-order effects of our business ventures in China, the Chinese form of government, and the impact it’s going to have on the United States’ ability to maintain a competitive military advantage and all that goes into it.

“I’m happy to have that debate. This is not about me and Google.”

The issue Dunford identifies is indeed wider than Google, with China a prime target for just about every major American industrial concern. His comments also come from a situation where members of the tech and defense communities appear to often talk past each other and regard the other with suspicion.

That said, Google is an easy target inside the Pentagon. Not only did parts of the company revolt against working on the department’s Project Maven last year, leading to Google’s exit entirely from the program, but the company has opened a major AI center in China — despite statements from Eric Schmidt, then the head of parent company Alphabet, that the U.S. and China are in an AI arms race.

“In the case of Google they were highlighted because they have an artificial intelligence venture in China. I think it is a reasonable assertion, even in an open venue like this, to assert the benefit of that venture for artificial intelligence for China, one of many ventures of our companies that are there, indirectly benefits the Chinese military and creates a challenge for us to [maintain] a competitive advantage,” Dunford said.

It’s not just AI where China’s influence on the commercial sector is butting up against the Pentagon’s interests.

Asked about the potential risks of a Chinese-built 5G network, Dunford called it a “critical national security issue” that needs to be addressed not just in the U.S. but with allied nations.

“Our relationships rely on trust, and that trust, in part, is the assurance that the data that we exchange, the intelligence we share, the information we share can be done in a way where it’s not compromised. And the issue of 5G addresses both potential vulnerabilities in our systems due to how reliant we will be on 5G for the internet of things, our combat systems, but also exchanging information with our allies and partners,” he said.

"So we very much believe that any future capability along the lines of 5G has to be trusted, and we’re concerned that we’re moving in the direction where if we don’t get out in front in that regard we won’t be able to trust 5G and will be at a competitive disadvantage,” the chairman concluded. “I think American industry needs to step out and dominate 5G because it will be in our national interest to do so.”