Google DeepMind workers are unionizing over AI military contracts

Staffers at Google DeepMind’s headquarters have voted to unionize in an effort to prevent the AI firm’s technology from being used by Israel and the US military. In a letter to Google management on Tuesday, employees requested that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite the Union be recognized as joint representatives, with 98 percent of CWU members at DeepMind voting in support of the move. “We don’t want our AI models complicit in violations of international law, but they already are aiding Israel’s genocide of Palestinians,” an unnamed DeepMind employee said in a statement shared by the CWU. “Even if our work is only used for administrative purposes, as leadership has repeatedly told us, it is still helping make genocide cheaper, faster, and more efficient. That must end immediately, as must harm to Iranians and human lives anywhere.” If successful, the unionization bid would secure representation for at least 1,000 staff based out of Google DeepMind’s London headquarters. Management now has 10 working days to voluntarily recognize the unionization efforts before legal processes are formally launched to force recognition. …