Anduril’s autonomous surveillance towers have been used on the U.S.–Mexico border to detect and track migrants, as part of DHS programs. This has drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups and academics who argue such systems dehumanize migrants and enable policies that align with authoritarian nationalism.

Anduril is privately funded (by VC firms like Founders Fund) but markets and sells directly to governments and military agencies, without the typical government R&D cycle. It builds weapons and surveillance systems first, then offers them to the state. This “build first, ask later” model can lead to unchecked corporate influence over the military-industrial complex, which some critics argue is a step toward a techno-authoritarian fascist regime.

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey was ousted from Oculus after it was revealed he funded a pro-Trump meme organization (Nimble America) known for spreading far-right content during the 2016 election. While this doesn’t make the company fascist, it raises concerns for critics about the political leanings of its leadership and how those ideologies could influence product deployment.

Anduril is deeply involved in developing autonomous weapon systems, like the ALTIUS-600M loitering munition. Critics warn that the use of AI to identify and kill targets without human input could lead to violations of international law and facilitate mass violence or authoritarian control. Anduril’s heavy investment in such systems leads some to see it as advancing a dystopian militarized fascist future.