Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) has reportedly stated that it stands firm in its commitment to collaborate with the U.S. military despite the internal backlash.
Kent Walker, Alphabet’s president of global affairs, addressed the company’s employees in a memo. He said Google has long supported defense agencies “proudly” and remains committed to doing so responsibly, reported the Financial Times.
Walker acknowledged that AI tools are not suitable for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons without proper human oversight. However, he affirmed that Google’s support for military uses of AI aligns with the approaches of other major AI labs.
Walker justified this stance by citing Google’s past involvement in classified government initiatives, including cybersecurity, diplomatic translation, and veterans’ healthcare, as per the report.
Alphabet did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
Google Staff Push Back On AI Use
The move comes amid internal pushback at Google, as the Pentagon expands Gemini’s use for classified work and partners with OpenAI and others.
Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported that more than 600 Google employees, including senior AI staff, urged CEO Sundar Pichai to bar the Pentagon from using its AI for classified work, warning it could enable harmful uses beyond their control.
This isn’t the first time employees have objected. In February, 100 Google staff members had penned a letter to management calling for the establishment of clear boundaries or “red lines” in government contracts, akin to those pursued by Anthropic. Employees warned that Google’s Gemini AI could be used by the U.S. military for domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, raising concerns in a letter to AI chief Jeff Dean.
According to the Financial Times, the swift pace of the Google-Pentagon contract has alarmed DeepMind researchers, who warn that reduced oversight of advanced AI could enable dangerous uses they can no longer fully control.
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