Google DeepMind staff move to unionize over military AI deals and ties to Israel

Employees at Google DeepMind’s UK offices are moving to unionize in response to concerns over the company’s involvement in selling AI technologies to defense groups and its connections to the Israeli government.

According to three sources familiar with the matter, around 300 London-based staff at the AI division — led by British Nobel laureate Sir Demis Hassabis — have recently taken steps to join the Communication Workers Union.

This push for unionization adds pressure to DeepMind, as its parent company, Google, intensifies efforts to commercialize its advanced AI capabilities. Hassabis has recently suggested that companies in democratic nations should collaborate to bolster national security.

The unionization effort comes amid growing dissatisfaction inside DeepMind, particularly after Google abandoned its pledge in February not to develop AI systems likely to cause harm, such as those used in weapons or surveillance.

Tensions rise as reports link Google’s AI technology to Israeli military use

Those involved in the union drive also pointed to rising unease over reports that Google supplies cloud services and AI technology to Israel’s Ministry of Defense. The Israeli government has a $1.2 billion cloud computing deal with Google and Amazon, known as Project Nimbus.

Tension was accelerated by media reports that the Israel Defense Forces have used AI systems to generate targets for assassinations and attacks in the Gaza Strip. However, it is unclear if the IDF is using commercially purchased software for those purposes or building its own. 

One engineer involved in the unionization effort expressed concerns, stating that the technology they are developing is being used in the ongoing conflict, and employees do not want their work to be applied this way. The individual added that people feel duped.

Union drive gains momentum as Google DeepMind faces employee backlash over project Nimbus

Five DeepMind employees have resigned in the past two months, citing concerns over Google’s cloud computing agreement with Israel and the company’s retreat from previous commitments on the ethical use of AI. 

In the United States, Google has also dismissed employees who staged sit-in protests against the same initiative, known as Project Nimbus.

In May 2024, DeepMind staff sent a letter to the company’s leadership calling on it to drop its military contracts and have held some meetings with management, but their requests have been denied. The effort to unionize now hinges on securing formal recognition through a vote among DeepMind’s UK workforce, which includes approximately 2,000 employees.

Google notes that it continues to adhere to its AI principles for responsible development, but the landscape has evolved significantly since its 2018 pledge against AI weapons and surveillance.

While unionization is still relatively rare across the tech sector, which has long resisted attempts to organize its workforce, there has been growing activity recently, including at Amazon and Apple. Google employees founded the Alphabet Workers Union in the US in 2021.   

One individual familiar with the DeepMind union effort said that, if recognized, the union plans to meet with management to push for a reversal of the company’s defense-related agreements. Should negotiations fail, they said, strike action may be considered. Discussions about unionization are also reportedly underway among Google employees in the US.

“Our hope — and the hope of many involved — is to ensure that DeepMind stays clear of any military contracts,” the person added.

Google has faced employee unrest over military projects in the past. In 2018, several workers resigned, and thousands signed a petition opposing Project Maven, a Pentagon contract that used AI to enhance drone strike operations. In response to the backlash, Google opted not to renew the contract and publicly committed to steering clear of developing AI for weapons or surveillance purposes.

One senior figure in the CWU union, who does not work for DeepMind, noted that when the company was created, it attracted people keen to work on projects that had a positive impact. However, they say the company’s direction has changed since its acquisition by Google in 2014 and is now securing military contracts.

While they acknowledged that, on the whole, DeepMind employees are well remunerated, they stressed this is not the sole reason to join the union. Instead, it indicates that they want to come together to make Google answer for the ethical code they claim to live by.

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