Google’s UK-based DeepMind workers voted to unionize, seeking recognition from the Communication Workers Union and Unite the Union as their representatives. The vote occurred in April, prompted by reports of Google’s impending deal with the US Defense Department. Workers expressed concerns that the government was “not a responsible partner,” citing the US’s “capricious Iran war” and its conflict with AI startup Anthropic.
Last week, the Pentagon announced it had signed agreements with several AI companies, including Google, allowing the Defense Department to use their technologies for “any lawful use.” According to The Information, these deals prevent the government from deploying the technologies in domestic mass surveillance or for autonomous weapons projects “without appropriate human oversight and control.” However, Google and participating companies lack the authority to control or veto the government’s application of their AI technologies.
Technologies under the deal, including Google Gemini, were developed by a unified AI team that featured input from DeepMind workers. Some of these workers voiced their fears that their technology could assist the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Reports indicate that Google collaborated with the IDF to enhance its access to AI tools and had previously entered into a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract with the Israeli government in 2021.
The unionizing DeepMind workers aim to pressure Google into committing not to develop technology primarily designed to inflict harm or injury. They also seek the establishment of an independent ethics oversight body and wish to gain the right to abstain from participating in particular projects based on moral grounds.
