Google DeepMind employees demand termination of military AI projects
Approximately 200 employees of Google DeepMind, representing about 5% of the division, have signed a letter urging the company to terminate its contracts with military organizations. The letter, as reported by Time magazine, expresses concerns over the potential use of their AI technology in warfare. It emphasizes that these apprehensions are not tied to "the geopolitics of any particular conflict," but are linked to Google's defense contract with the Israeli military known as Project Nimbus.
AI technology and military surveillance
The letter from DeepMind employees also highlights reports of the Israeli military using AI for mass surveillance and target selection in its bombing campaign in Gaza. It notes that Israeli weapon firms are required by their government to purchase cloud services from Google and Amazon. This information underscores the growing tension within Google between its AI division, which is committed to ethical use of technology, and its cloud business that sells these services to militaries.
Protests and commitments: A look back
The issue of AI use in warfare has sparked protests, including one at Google's flagship I/O conference earlier this year where pro-Palestine protestors demonstrated against Project Nimbus. When Google acquired DeepMind in 2014, it made a commitment that the lab's AI technology would not be used for military or surveillance purposes. The letter circulating within Google DeepMind states, "Any involvement with military and weapon manufacturing impacts our position as leaders in ethical and responsible AI."
DeepMind staff urges leadership to take action
The DeepMind staff's letter urges Google's leadership to investigate claims of their cloud services being used by militaries and weapons manufacturers. It also calls for an end to military access to DeepMind's technology and the establishment of a new governance body. This body would prevent future use of their AI by military clients. Despite these concerns and calls for action, there has been "no meaningful response" from Google so far, according to four unnamed employees.
Google's response and DeepMind's future
In response to Time's reporting, Google stated that it adheres to its AI principles and that its contract with the Israeli government "is not directed at highly sensitive, classified or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services." However, this partnership has faced significant scrutiny recently. DeepMind was merged with Google Brain in 2023. An ethics board established for overseeing DeepMind's AI development was replaced by Google's broader AI Principles which do not prohibit selling their AI to military clients.
