Google employees have signed an open letter urging CEO Sundar Pichai to reject the use of Google’s AI technology by the US government for secret military operations, the 'Financial Times' reports.
"We want to see AI benefit humanity, not to see it being used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways," reads the letter, reportedly signed by over 560 employees. "This includes lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, but extends beyond."
The letter comes on the heels of a conflict between the US government and AI company Anthropic.
The Pentagon had sought unrestricted access to Anthropic’s advanced AI systems, but the firm insisted that they not be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.
In response, the US government classified Anthropic as a supply chain security risk, with US President Donald Trump issuing an order directing federal agencies to stop using the company’s AI systems immediately.
The Financial Times reports that Google’s staff are reacting to news suggesting that their company is close to finalising a deal with the US Department of Defense.
This deal would allegedly allow Google’s AI tool, Gemini, to be used in covert operations without conditions similar to those demanded by Anthropic.
"The only way to guarantee that Google does not become associated with such harms is to reject any classified workloads," the letter states. "Otherwise, such uses may occur without our knowledge or the power to stop them."
