According to Time, a letter expressing dissatisfaction with Google's suspected defense contracts was circulated internally by DeepMind employees, numbering at least 200.
In the letter dated May 16, the signatory expresses worry on "Google's contracts with military organizations," citing news reports regarding the company's agreements to provide cloud computing and artificial intelligence services to the Israeli military.
"Our role as leaders in ethical and responsible AI is impacted by any involvement with military and weapon manufacturing, and it contradicts our mission statement and stated AI Principles," the letter continues.
The message, which only represents a small percentage of the organization's total workforce, suggests that DeepMind—whose technology Google acquired in 2014 and promised in 2018 would never be used for military or surveillance—and Google are at odds over culture.