Tech workers at Google, OpenAI, and other leading AI firms are raising alarms over their employers’ deepening ties with the U.S. military, particularly in the wake of recent U.S. strikes in Iran and the Pentagon’s blacklisting of AI firm Anthropic. A growing wave of open letters and internal dissent highlights a widening schism between the ethical stances espoused by these companies and their burgeoning defense contracts.
The “We Will Not Be Divided” open letter, initially signed by a few hundred individuals, has rapidly swelled to nearly 900 signatories, with a significant contingent from OpenAI and Google. The letter explicitly condemns the Department of Defense’s action against Anthropic, a company that has publicly refused to allow its technology to be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems. The signatories express concern that companies are being strategically isolated and pressured by the “Department of War,” asserting that solidarity and shared understanding are crucial to resisting such pressure.
This wave of employee activism follows closely on the heels of Friday’s U.S. military actions in Iran, framed by the administration as a necessary response to “imminent threats” from the country’s nuclear and missile programs. However, the timing appears to have galvanized tech workers who have grown increasingly concerned about the ethical implications of their work with government entities, especially in the realms of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
The heightened tensions within the tech sector are not new. For months, employees have voiced unease over the aggressive stance of federal immigration agencies and, more broadly, the lack of transparency surrounding government contracts. For Google, this internal dissent surfaces as the company reportedly engages in discussions with the Pentagon to integrate its advanced AI model, Gemini, into classified systems. This potential move resurrects a long-standing internal debate within Google regarding the deployment of AI in military applications.
Separately, the advocacy group No Tech For Apartheid has amplified these concerns, issuing a joint statement with other organizations calling on cloud infrastructure leaders like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to reject Pentagon demands that could facilitate mass surveillance or other unethical uses of AI. The group specifically pointed to Google’s potential deal for Gemini, drawing parallels to xAI’s Grok model being deployed in classified environments, allegedly without sufficient ethical guardrails. The statement underscores the urgency for clarity and accountability in contracts involving the military, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Anthropic and OpenAI have been relatively vocal about their interactions with the Department of Defense. Google’s parent company, Alphabet, however, has remained notably silent amidst these developments, declining multiple requests for comment.
### ‘Supply Chain Risk’ Designation Under Scrutiny
In a separate but related effort, hundreds of tech workers, including employees from OpenAI, Salesforce, Databricks, IBM, and Cursor, have signed an open letter urging the Department of Defense to rescind its “supply chain risk” designation for Anthropic. This designation, critics argue, amounts to retaliation against a company for adhering to ethical principles. The letter calls for Congressional review of the government’s use of such “extraordinary authorities” against American technology firms and advocates for the protection of companies that refuse to compromise on their ethical standards.
Internal concerns at Google have also reached a boiling point. Over 100 employees working on AI technology reportedly penned a letter to management, expressing apprehension about the company’s collaboration with the DoD and urging Google to adopt ethical boundaries similar to Anthropic’s. Jeff Dean, Google’s chief scientist, acknowledged these concerns, expressing in a public post that mass surveillance violates fundamental rights and has a chilling effect on free expression, while also being “prone to misuse for political or discriminatory purposes.”
This echoes a familiar internal conflict for Google. In 2018, the company faced significant employee backlash over Project Maven, a Pentagon initiative using AI to analyze drone footage. The ensuing protests led Google to let the contract lapse and subsequently establish its “AI Principles.” Despite these principles, the company has continued to navigate complex ethical terrain. In 2024, Google terminated over 50 employees following protests against Project Nimbus, a substantial cloud computing contract with the Israeli government. While executives maintained that the contract did not violate the company’s AI Principles, investigative reports and leaked documents suggested that Google Cloud services could be utilized for AI tools that include image categorization, object tracking, and potentially aid state-owned weapons manufacturers.
Further complicating matters, a 2024 New York Times report revealed that internal discussions prior to the Nimbus agreement highlighted concerns about potential reputational damage and the risk of Google Cloud services being linked to human rights violations. Adding to the controversy, early last year, Google reportedly revised its AI Principles, removing explicit prohibitions against “building weapons” or “surveillance technology.” These ongoing debates underscore the profound ethical challenges confronting the tech industry as it grapples with the dual demands of innovation and responsible application, particularly in collaboration with governmental and military entities.
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