Around 300 Google DeepMind employees in London are seeking to join the Communication Workers Union amid concerns over the company's AI technology being supplied to Israeli defence organisations, prompting debate over ethics within the workforce.
Staff members at Google DeepMind in the United Kingdom are planning to unionize in response to the company's involvement in providing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to defence organisations linked to the Israeli government. This development was reported on Saturday by the Financial Times.
Approximately 300 employees based in London have been attempting to join the Communication Workers Union (CWU) in recent weeks, sources familiar with the situation told the Financial Times. The move reflects growing concern among staff over media reports indicating that Google is supplying its cloud services and AI technology to the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
The company’s association with the Israeli military sector has caused unease among these employees. The Financial Times noted that prior to this, Google encountered controversy in relation to its dealings with the Israeli government, particularly last year when it dismissed 28 employees who had protested against a cloud contract with the Israeli authorities.
The New York Post reports that neither Google, Google DeepMind, nor the Communication Workers Union have offered immediate comments on the matter following requests from Reuters.
This situation highlights the tension within Google DeepMind's workforce in London regarding the ethical considerations of deploying AI technologies in defence contexts, especially those involving the Israeli military.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The story is recent, reported on April 27, 2025, indicating a high level of freshness. There are no indications of it being recycled from older reports.
Quotes check
Score:
0
Notes:
There are no direct quotes mentioned in the narrative.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative originates from reputable sources, including the Financial Times and the New York Post, which are well-established publications.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Google DeepMind's UK staff planning to unionize are plausible given the context of ethical concerns regarding AI technologies used by defence organisations. However, specific details might require further verification.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears to be recent and well-supported by reliable publications. The lack of direct quotes and some aspects requiring verification lead to minor deductions in plausibility but do not undermine the overall credibility.
