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Google denies working on touchscreen tech for Chinese fighter jets
Google denied that it helped China's military build a new touchscreen tool for its J-20 fighter jets.
The tech giant said that it had no role in the military aspect of touchscreen research that could potentially give an advantage to Chinese fighter jets in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
A research paper seen by the Morning Post suggested that a lead scientist from Google actively participated in Beijing's program on the new touchscreen tools. Shumin Zai, a member of Google's A.I. team, worked on a research paper that could be used for touchscreen applications ranging from military uses to education and medicine.
"This paper addresses a very general research question in user experience design of how people interact with moving items on a touchscreen," a Google spokesperson told the Morning Post on Thursday. "This paper is simply not about military applications."
Also at Wccftech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 11 2019, @10:44AM (2 children)
If I was a fighter pilot, I'd prefer some other form of computer interaction/input. Judging from smartphone touch screens' ... reliable and fast ... right, ... response, those pilots should change their underwear daily.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Thursday July 11 2019, @01:59PM (1 child)
Yeah, it'd be the last thing I'd put in a fighter as well. You need fit-for-purpose specialised controls that do exactly what the pilot needs when they need it, not an iPad where you have to swipe, swipe, scroll... no, swipe back, scroll, tap, swipe, and then you're already dead as the guy in the antique F-86 with good old mechanical controls has outmaneuvered you.
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Thursday July 11 2019, @03:50PM
Right, you can’t make a blind adjustment of a touchscreen control while looking out the canopy. I feel the same way about cars which is but one reason why I’d never buy a Tesla.