Google announced today that they will donate $1 million to the Rust Foundation, focusing on enhancing interoperability between the C++ and Rust programming languages. The $1 million donation will support the new Interop Initiative, a new C++/Rust interop effort.
We hope this initiative will make it easier for large enterprises with large C++ code bases to gradually transition to the Rust programming language. Rust developers will explore new ways to provide "seamless interoperability between existing C++ code and Rust code."
According to historical vulnerability density statistics, Rust has proactively prevented hundreds of vulnerabilities from impacting the Android ecosystem. This investment is intended to expand the use of Rust across various components of the platform.
While Rust may not be suitable for every production application, prioritizing seamless interoperability with C++ will accelerate broader community adoption, aligning with industry goals of improving memory safety.
The first step in the initiative will be to draft a scope of work proposal to initiate discussions with stakeholders on priorities for interoperability advancement efforts.
The funding will likely be used for additional hiring and resourcing around building system integration, possible conversion of AI-based C++ to Rust, and/or other expenses.
Announcements of the Rust/C++ interop program will be posted on the Google Security Blog.