DeepMind Staff Pen Letter Opposing Google’s Military Agreements

A group of over 200 employees at DeepMind, the Artificial Intelligence research division under Google, have expressed their dissatisfaction with Google’s involvement in defense contracts. Time reports that an internal letter was distributed by these employees in May voicing their concerns.

The internal communication, dated May 16, highlights the signatories’ apprehension regarding “Google’s engagements with military entities,” referencing reports on Google’s provision of Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing technologies to the military forces of Israel.

The document states, “Our involvement with military agencies and arms manufacturers contradicts our leadership stance on ethical and responsible AI development. It is against our core mission and the AI Principles we uphold.”

Although these voices represent a fraction of the entire organization, the memo signals a significant ideological divergence between Google and its subsidiary DeepMind, acquired in 2014. Google has committed, especially through a 2018 pledge, that DeepMind’s advancements would steer clear of military and surveillance applications.