Google DeepMind researchers resign over company's military AI contracts, BBC reports

Several employees have resigned or are in the process of leaving Google DeepMind, Google’s artificial intelligence company, over its military contracts, the BBC reported after speaking to current and former staff.

Sofia Liguori, a London-based research engineer, told the BBC she resigned this week after three years at the company, speaking in a personal capacity. “Realising my company is pushing more and more for AI systems in military operations makes me feel ashamed to work at Google,” she said. She said her decision related to Google’s increasing work with the US and Israeli militaries.

Andreas Kirsch, an AI researcher, said he resigned earlier in October. He told the BBC he believed Google’s “governance and oversight are not sufficient or meaningful enough to deploy AI safely and responsibly in military and classified settings”, and that Google “seems to have no right to control or veto how the Pentagon uses its AI”.

A Google spokesperson told the BBC the company works with public-sector organisations worldwide and follows “a consistent process for reviewing and entering these contracts, including compliance with our acceptable use policies and AI principles”. The spokesperson said employees have dedicated channels to raise concerns and that the company has policies to prevent retaliation.

According to the BBC, Google’s Pentagon agreement, signed this year, allows its AI models to be used for “any lawful government purpose”, and says they “should not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons (including target selection) without appropriate human oversight and control”. The BBC said OpenAI, Amazon, Microsoft, SpaceX, Oracle, Nvidia and Reflection signed similar contracts. US Under Secretary of Defense Emil Michael said earlier this year that “speed defines victory in the AI era”.