Google researchers resign over military AI contracts

A wave of resignations is hitting Google as employees protest the company’s involvement in military artificial intelligence operations. Several researchers from Google DeepMind have reportedly left or are planning to leave the firm due to ethical concerns regarding contracts with the United States and Israeli governments.

Sofia Liguori, a London-based research engineer who resigned after three years, told the BBC that she felt “ashamed” to work at the company as it increasingly supports AI in military contexts. She expressed a loss of faith in Google’s commitment to its stated ethical principles.

The unrest follows a deal with the Pentagon to provide technology for classified military activities, as well as Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion agreement involving Google, Amazon, and the Israeli government. While U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has prioritized making the armed forces an “AI-first warfighting force,” critics and former employees warn that current AI systems lack the precision required for combat, posing risks of erroneous targeting and civilian casualties.