The Defense Innovation Unit, an organization within the Department of Defense focused on adopting commercial technology, is building an Uber-like app

The Military Is Creating a ‘Gig Eagle’ App to Uber-ize Its Workforce

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2021-05-20 20:00:11

The Defense Innovation Unit, an organization within the Department of Defense focused on adopting commercial technology, is building an Uber-like app called “Gig Eagle” to match part-time service members possessing private sector experience with program managers.

"We are creating a gig economy for the Department of Defense," Sarah Pearson, a DIU executive, said during an AI Week SNG Live panel, FedScoop reported. "You could think about it almost like an Uber but for the DoD."

In December, the Defense Innovation Unit received an additional $20 million from Congress to expand its research and development budget for space programs. $3 million went to Gig Eagle, the Uber-like app that was pitched as a "talent management pilot application."

DIU told Motherboard in an email that the program is in its early phases of development, so it's unclear what the program will end up looking like. One immediate concern that arises, however, is the fact that the DoD is eagerly invoking the gig economy, which itself is an amalgamation of labor law loopholes and exploits. Whether that means service members will be subject to hellish working conditions, meager pay, a lack of benefits, and little to nothing in the way of fair labor practices remains to be seen. However, the program appears to generally be a way for military programs to quickly and easily find personnel (for example a reservist who works a day job as a programmer) who can use their skills where and when they’re needed.