*By: Britt Terrell* Big tech CEOs have taken a stance on a slew of politically-charged issues in recent years, from immigration policy to trade to taxes. And these days, if the top execs *don't* speak out, it seems their employees might just force them to. "Employees of these companies also seem to feel more ownership over what they perceive to be their company's moral conduct, whether it be in the use of A.I. in identifying drones or having any sort of contract at all with ICE, even for administrative services," said Dana Wollman, executive editor at Engadget. Google recently announced the end to Project Maven - the tech behemoth's program that provided artificial intelligence to the U.S. Department of Defense for analyzing drone footage. Objections to the project led to the resignation of a dozen employees. Microsoft might have a similar experience. According to a [Gizmodo report](https://gizmodo.com/microsoft-employees-up-in-arms-over-cloud-contract-with-1826927803), employees have taken issue with the fact that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement use the company's Azure cloud software, especially in light of the border protection policy enacted by the Trump Administration in April, which led to thousands of undocumented children being separated from their parents. The backlash prompted Microsoft to [update a statement](https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/azuregov/2018/01/24/federal-agencies-continue-to-advance-capabilities-with-azure-government/) originally posted in January, saying it did not believe its software was being used by ICE specifically to separate families. "I think a lot of these big tech companies have a younger, millennial workforce who care a lot about their companies values," Wollman said. "I think a lot of the consumers of these products are also millennials and even if not millennials, people who care about the moral standings of their companies." For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/tech-employees-place-check-on-company-morality).

Share:
More In Business
Starbucks’ Change Flushes Out a Debate Over Public Restroom Access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Load More