DeepMind workers sign letter in protest of Google’s defense contracts

At least 200 workers at DeepMind, Google’s AI R&D division, are displeased with Google’s reported defense contracts — and according to Time, they circulated a letter internally back in May to say as much.

The letter, dated May 16, says the undersigned are concerned by “Google’s contracts with military organizations,” citing articles about the tech giant’s contracts to supply AI and cloud computing services to the Israeli military.

“Any involvement with military and weapon manufacturing impacts our position as leaders in ethical and responsible AI, and goes against our mission statement and stated AI Principles,” the letter adds.

While a relatively small portion of the org’s overall staff, the memo hints at a culture clash between Google and DeepMind, which Google acquired in 2014 and whose tech — Google pledged in 2018 — would never be used for military or surveillance purposes.