Space-Eyes, a defense technology company backed by Eric Trump, is set to go public in a $638 million SPAC deal. This substantial transaction reflects a growing investor appetite for AI-enabled defense technologies, including drone detection and autonomous systems.
Such ventures represent a direct pipeline for capital accumulation, funneling public and private funds into the development of tools for state violence and surveillance. The state, far from a neutral arbiter, acts as a primary customer, ensuring the profitability of this sector.
War Machine Profits
Investor interest in these technologies isn't accidental; it's a calculated move to extract profit from the expansion of military and surveillance capabilities. The $638 million valuation for Space-Eyes underscores the immense wealth being generated from the projection of military power, often at the expense of social programs and human needs.
Simultaneously, General Motors plans to launch a proprietary in-vehicle artificial intelligence system later this year. This system, according to Anna Santos, GM director of product management of voice and AI/machine learning, will be more deeply integrated with its vehicles than the recently introduced Gemini AI assistant from Google.
Data as Corporate Property
Santos stated that the new GM assistant will better "understand the vehicle, the drive and our customers' needs, and make everyday ownership simpler." This simplification, however, comes with a critical caveat: "It's data that's going to be proprietary to GM." The corporation aims to privatize the vast streams of data generated by its vehicles and their users, transforming collective experience into corporate assets.
GM's new AI assistant will combine conversational AI with GM vehicle knowledge and OnStar intelligence. This integration is designed to create capabilities that extend beyond what a general-purpose assistant can offer, further embedding corporate control into daily life.
Last year, GM announced the Gemini AI bot would launch this year in millions of 2022 model-year vehicles and newer. Gemini allows customers to speak naturally, controlling some vehicle aspects like temperature and radio, but largely operates like a phone application.
Santos described this as "the beginning of a broader AI journey for us," acknowledging the limitations of less integrated systems. GM is collaborating with an unnamed large language model provider to develop technology for predictive maintenance, vehicle telemetry, and other auto-focused features. This includes functions like a "kids setting," which would tailor music, seats, heating, cooling, and door lock controls for children, further extending corporate reach into personal vehicle environments. The goal remains clear: to build "deep vehicle expertise" that GM can own and leverage for profit.