Hundreds of Google employees have signed an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai urging the company to refuse making its artificial intelligence tools available for classified workloads for US defense missions. Approximately 600 staff members, including senior researchers at Google DeepMind as well as more than 20 directors, senior directors, and vice presidents, signed the letter sent to Pichai on Monday.
The employees expressed concern over ongoing negotiations between Google and the Department of Defense. They stated that they do not want to see the company's AI technology utilized in inhumane or extremely harmful ways.
Workers further warned that entering into a deal with the Department of Defense would damage the tech giant's reputation. Additionally, employees argued that the safeguards Google has proposed are unenforceable under Pentagon policy.