Google’s DeepMind Workers Vote to Collaborate on AI Warfare

Employees of Google DeepMind in London voted to agree as part of a bid to stop the AI ​​lab from handing over its technology to the US and Israel. soldiers.

In a letter delivered to Google’s UK and Ireland chief executive, Debbie Weinstein, the workers asked the company to recognize the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union as union representatives for DeepMind.

“Importantly, forcing the agreement is getting Google to have its own ethics on AI, how it makes money, what it does, and who it works with,” John Chadfield, director of science at CWU, tells WIRED. “Through the union process, collective labor is in a much stronger position to put (demands) to the most deaf-mute management.”

The push for a merger began in February 2025, when Google’s parent company Alphabet he bailed out not using AI for purposes such as tooling and analysis from its ethical guidelines, according to a DeepMind employee, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

“A lot of people here have bought into Google DeepMind’s tagline ‘to make AI right for the benefit of people,'” a DeepMind employee told WIRED. “The way it works is to advance the AI ​​forces we’re building right now.”

Increasingly, that concern is reflected in all industries. In late February, DeepMind and OpenAI employees signed an open letter in support of Anthropic, after the US Department of Defense requested it mention the risk lab of the supply chain for refusing to allow its AI to be used on autonomous devices or to spy on US citizens. Last week, The New York Times report that Google entered into an agreement to allow the Pentagon to use its AI for “any legitimate government purpose.” (Friday, US Department of Defense it has been confirmed that it has partnered with seven leading AI companies – including Google, SpaceX, OpenAI, and Microsoft – to use their models on select networks.) About 600 Google employees in the US. he says signed a letter opposing the agreement. “We think that (any legitimate purpose) is so simple as to be meaningless,” the DeepMind employee says.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has already secured its contracts with government agencies. “We are proud to be part of a large group of leading AI and technology companies and cloud companies that provide AI services and infrastructure in support of national security,” Jenn Crider, a Google spokeswoman, said. The New York Times last week. “We are committed to a partnership between the private and public sectors so that AI is not used for mass surveillance or autonomous devices without public oversight.”

In 2021, Google employees in the US formed the Alphabet Workers Union. This agreement is not recognized by Letters for discussion purposes, but before they managed to negotiate contracts instead of Google contractors.

A DeepMind employee tells WIRED that if the employees are successful in the United Kingdom, they may need Google to pull out. long-term cooperation with the Israeli militaryit is looking to provide better visibility into how its AI products will be used, as well as some kind of guarantee about the possible redundancies due to automation.

If Google doesn’t cooperate, the letter says, employees will ask arbitration committee compel the company to recognize organizations.

From the end of the year, both Anthropic and OpenAI have announced a major expansion of their operations in London. CWU hopes that collaborative efforts at DeepMind will inspire other labs to do the same.

“These conversations are happening,” says Chadfield. “Workers in other laboratories have seen what Google DeepMind workers have done. They have come back to us to ask for help.”