The Media Line: Employees Petition Google CEO To Block Classified Military Use of AI Technology   

Employees Petition Google CEO To Block Classified Military Use of AI Technology   

By The Media Line Staff   

Google employees have signed a petition opposing the use of the company’s artificial intelligence models by the US military for classified activity, raising concerns about oversight and potential harm.   

The petition, which includes several senior officials and employees from Google’s DeepMind AI lab, was addressed to Chief Executive Sundar Pichai and urges the company not to enter into agreements with the Defense Department involving classified uses of its technology. A copy of the letter was seen by The Washington Post.   

Employees warned that classified work would limit transparency and prevent company representatives from understanding how their tools are deployed. “There is no way to ensure that our tools will not cause serious harm or violate individual freedoms,” the petition stated.   

The letter also outlined broader ethical concerns about military applications of artificial intelligence. “We want to see AI benefit humanity; not to see it being used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways. This includes lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance but extends beyond,” the workers wrote.   

They added, “The only way to guarantee that Google does not become associated with such harms is to reject any classified workloads. Otherwise, such uses may occur without our knowledge or the power to stop them.”   

The move echoes internal opposition within the company in 2018, when Project Maven prompted a backlash over Google’s role in assisting the Pentagon with identifying objects in drone footage operating beyond US borders. At that time, more than 4,600 employees signed a demand to terminate the contract with the administration.   

Two months ago, rival AI company Anthropic was dropped by the Defense Department after a similar request for a restriction on classified use of its technology.   

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the petition.