Meta (META.US) joins hands with defense contractor Anduril to develop military-grade AI helmets, entering the defense technology field.

Meta Platforms (META.US) is collaborating with defense contractor Anduril Industries Inc to develop new products for the US military, including an artificial intelligence helmet with virtual reality and augmented reality features. According to an article released by Anduril on Thursday, the company is working with Meta to "design, build, and deploy a series of integrated XR products to enhance the perceptual capabilities of combat personnel and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield." Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey is also the co-founder of the gaming headset company Oculus VR, which was sold to Meta in 2014. At least one of the products will be a "sci-fi style military helmet" called "Eagle Eye," according to reporter Ashley Vance. "This is something that people have been dreaming of for a long time," Luckey said in an interview with Vance. "People have called them various things: some refer to them as the 'Call of Duty' glasses, some call them the 'Halo' helmet. These are long-standing concepts that have only recently become technically feasible." Last November, Meta modified its "acceptable use" policy to allow US military contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Palantir Technologies to use its large-scale language AI models. This collaboration marks an unexpected reconnection between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Luckey. Luckey was fired by Meta for funding a group that created anti-Hillary Clinton memes before the 2016 US presidential election, which sparked controversy. In recent years, Zuckerberg's political leanings have gradually shifted to the right.