Google employees press Sundar Pichai to reject Pentagon Gemini AI
More than 600 Google employees, including some senior leaders, are urging CEO Sundar Pichai to reject a Pentagon proposal that would use Google's Gemini AI for classified military work.
Right now, Google has a US Department of Defense contract for unclassified projects, but this new contract would take things into secret territory.
Employees fear misuse, question transparency
Employees say using AI in classified military settings could lead to things like unauthorized surveillance or even civilian targeting.
They're also concerned about the lack of transparency in secret projects, which makes it hard to know how the tech is really being used.
Even though Google offered to add contract language to prevent misuse, many staffers aren't convinced it's enforceable and want the company to steer clear of these kinds of deals altogether.
This isn't the first time: Google faced similar backlash over a Pentagon project back in 2018.