DeepMind, the premier artificial intelligence company founded in the UK and now owned by Alphabet, is moving toward unionization. This move coincides with a wave of employee issues that have been kicking up. DeepMind has a total staff of about 2,000. Recently, the T&E has come under fire for its ethical practices, most notably regarding its contract with the Israeli military.
Now, DeepMind employees are going public with a growing revolt. They are outraged over the company’s ongoing work with the Israeli military, most notably on a $1.2 billion cloud computing contract. This partnership has done more than raise ethical questions; it’s sparked protest within the multinational non-profit. Employees say they are “hoodwinked” by the company’s move, leading to the resignation of at least five employees in protest.
DeepMind currently has a union of about 200 members. Yet this number represents just 0.7 percent of their employees. The union’s success has been underscored by a broader Alphabet and subsidiary, Google, workers’ movement. Workers are expanding the fight to unionize out of the pandemic. Employees have rattled corporate cages and found their voices amid workplace abuses and moral outrage.
Protests at DeepMind are like previous protests undertaken by Google employees. No coincidence that right afterwards, 28 Google workers were fired in the wake of a sit-in protest against the tech giant’s eye-watering, deadly projects with Israel. At DeepMind, employees are trying to make a difference. This deepening tide of activism has spread throughout Alphabet’s workforce, with more wanting to speak out and influence company policy.
The unionization efforts at DeepMind come against a backdrop of increased sensitivity to issues of corporate responsibility. Employees are seeking increased transparency and accountability from the company’s dealings and agreements. This is particularly critical when dealing with hot-button topics such as Pentagon contracts.
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