Google DeepMind UK staff move to unionize over military AI use

LONDON (AFP) — U.K. employees at Google’s AI lab DeepMind on Tuesday requested official recognition of two unions, as concern grows over the company’s technology being used by the U.S. and Israeli militaries.

Workers requested recognition of the Communication Workers Union and Unite in a letter to management shared by the CWU on Tuesday.

“The unionizing DeepMind workers are seeking an end to use of Google AI by Israel and the U.S. military,” the union said in a statement.

The move came after the Pentagon last week announced agreements with Google and six other AI companies to deploy their technology on classified military networks.

Prior to the announcement, more than 600 Google employees urged the company not to sign the deal because of concerns the tools could be leveraged by the military to cause harm.

Demands from the unionizing U.K. employees include “restoring a scrapped commitment not to make AI weapons or surveillance tools.”

It also requests “the creation of an independent ethics oversight body and the individual right to refuse to contribute to projects on moral grounds.”

The letter gives management 10 working days to voluntarily recognize the unions, or organizers would take formal legal proceedings.

“Google staff worry how the technology will be used given the deal could reportedly open the door to autonomous weapons and mass surveillance of Americans,” the CWU said.

In 2018, an employee movement successfully pushed Google to abandon Project Maven, a Pentagon program to integrate AI into drone operations.

But in recent years Google has embarked on a strategy shift, steadily rebuilding its military business and competing with rivals Amazon Web Services and Microsoft for defense cloud contracts.

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By Agence France-Presse