Google DeepMind workers protest over US military and defense contracts

Nearly 200 workers at Google DeepMind, the company’s AI research division, have signed a letter urging the company to terminate its contracts with military organizations.  The May 16 letter, revealed by TIME, highlights growing concern within the organization about the ethical implications of its AI technology being used for digital warfare. The signatories represent around 5% of DeepMind’s workforce, calling out the company’s contracts to supply AI and cloud computing services to various governments, including the Israeli military under Project Nimbus. Google workers worried about their AI being used in warfare. The workers argue such involvement violates Google’s own AI Principles, which state the company will not pursue AI applications that cause “overall harm” or contribute to weaponry and surveillance. Although the letter refrains from mentioning any specific geopolitical conflict, it links to reports alleging that Israeli military operations are using AI for surveillance and targeting. Although DeepMind has historically maintained a policy against using its technology for military purposes, the business has become increasingly close to Google’s broader operations since its acquisition in 2014, leading to closer ties to military contracts. Despite the letter’s demands, including a review of DeepMind’s technology being used by military clients and the establishment of a new governance body, Google has not taken any decisive action. TechRadar Pro has asked the company to comment on the internal letter from staff, but we did not receive an immediate response.  One of the letter’s signatories expressed their dissatisfaction with Google’s response to the complaint to TIME, stating that the company’s statement on Project Nimbus “is so specifically unspecific that we are all none the wiser on what it actually means.”