GZERO AI
Deep conflict at DeepMind
The Deepmind logo is being displayed on a smartphone with the Google Gemini logo in the background in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 8, 2024.
Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto
August 27, 2024
Google DeepMind employees are pushing the company to drop its military contracts. Two hundred workers at the Google AI division, about 5% of its staff, signed a letter earlier this year urging the company to get out of the business of war. The existence of this letter, dated May 16, was first reported by Time on Aug. 23.
While Google supplies cloud services to militaries, including the United States, Google DeepMind signed a pledge in 2018 vowing not to help develop any lethal autonomous weapons.
The signatories don’t specify militaries by name but do link to a report disclosing Google’s contract for cloud services and AI with the Israeli military.
It’s not a major action by employees but demonstrates the debate over where lines might be drawn between military and private sector technologies — even when they involve the same vendors.
For now, the emergence of the letter is unlikely to change anything for a company that currently has billions of dollars worth of military contracts.More For You
Mastercard Economic Institute's Outlook 2026 explores the forces redefining global business. Tariffs, technology, and transformation define an adaptive economy for the year ahead. Expect moderate growth amid easing inflation, evolving fiscal policies, and rapid AI adoption, driving productivity. Digital transformation for SMEs and shifts in trade and consumer behavior will shape strategies worldwide. Stay ahead with insights to help navigate complexity and seize emerging opportunities. Learn more here.
Most Popular
- YouTube
Despite a ceasefire in Gaza, Israel is still not letting foreign journalists in to independently verify what’s happening on the ground, CNN’s Clarissa Ward tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
- YouTube
On Ask Ian, Ian Bremmer breaks down the steady escalation of US pressure on Venezuela and why direct military action is now a real possibility.
US President Donald Trump arrives to announce reciprocal tariffs against US trading partners in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, on April 2, 2025.
POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
From civil conflicts to trade wars to the rise of new technologies, GZERO runs through the stories that have shaped this year in geopolitics.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.