More than 600 DeepMind employees have signed a letter calling on the Department of Defense to ban the use of Google AI for classified business operations.
It has been reported that hundreds of Google employees sent a letter to CEO Sundar Pichai on April 27, 2026, urging him to 'refuse to do business with the Department of Defense, which will use Google's AI in classified matters.'
Google employees urge CEO to reject Pentagon AI deal
Google employees ask CEO Sundar Pichai to bar classified military AI work - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/27/google-employees-letter-ai-pentagon/
On April 16, 2026, the American technology media outlet The Information reported that Google was in negotiations with the Department of Defense for an agreement that would allow it to deploy its AI model 'Gemini' in a classified environment. According to sources who revealed the information, the agreement would allow the Department of Defense to use Gemini for 'all legitimate uses.' However, during the contract negotiations, Google reportedly proposed additional clauses to prevent its AI from being used for large-scale surveillance and autonomous weapons, including targeted systems, within the country without proper human oversight and control.
A similar proposal was made when Anthropic was negotiating with the Department of Defense around February 2026, with the Department of Defense threatening to terminate the contract and designate Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' if Anthropic did not allow 'all legitimate uses.' As a result, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodi indicated his intention to reject the Department of Defense's demands, arguing that 'AI should not be used for large-scale domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons,' which led President Donald Trump to order all government agencies to stop using Anthropic products.
President Trump claims Anthropic's left-wing fanatics attempted to control the U.S. military and orders severance of ties; Defense Secretary Heggesses to designate Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' - GIGAZINE
Following a report by The Information, multiple media outlets reported that on April 27, 2026, a letter signed by more than 600 employees of Google DeepMind and Google Cloud was sent to CEO Pichai. The letter urges Pichai not to enter into any agreement with the Department of Defense that would allow Google's AI to be used in a classified manner.
A copy of the letter released to the media reads: 'We want AI to benefit humanity, not to be used in inhumane or extremely harmful ways, including but not limited to lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance. The only way we can ensure that Google is not associated with such harm is to refuse any confidential workloads, otherwise such uses could occur without our knowledge or beyond our control.'
The letter also included a statement from employees saying, 'As those involved in AI development, we recognize that these systems have the potential to concentrate power and can also make mistakes. Because we are deeply involved with this technology, we feel it is our responsibility to expose and prevent its most unethical and dangerous uses.'
As of the time of writing, Google does not respond to requests for comment from the media.
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