Staff inside Google DeepMind are attempting to unionise in order to challenge the tech company’s ties with the Israeli government and its decision to sell artificial intelligence technologies to defence groups, say multiple reports. As per the Middle East Eye, figures with knowledge of the organising spoke to the Financial Times and said approx. 300 employees inside Google DeepMind, the company’s artificial intelligence London office, want to join the Communication Workers Union.
“We’re putting two and two together and think the technology we’re developing is being used in the conflict [in Gaza],” said one engineer involved in the unionisation effort.
“This is basically cutting-edge AI that we’re providing to an ongoing conflict. People don’t want their work used like this.”
Three people involved with the unionisation efforts told the FT that media reports over Israel’s use of artificial intelligence to wage its war on Gaza and its ongoing partnership with Google have spurred employees in DeepMind to consider unionising.
The Israeli government has a $1.2bn cloud computing agreement with Google and Amazon called Project Nimbus.
Five people have reportedly quit DeepMind in the last two months because of the company’s involvement with Israel and its reversal of commitments regarding the use of AI for defence.
Google will need to recognise the union, with its AI division employing approx. 2,000 people.