London-based DeepMind Team Seeks Unionization
Reports from the Financial Times indicate that approximately 300 members of Google’s DeepMind team in London are in the process of unionizing with the Communication Workers Union. This move comes in response to concerns regarding Google’s removal of a pledge against using artificial intelligence for weapons or surveillance. Additionally, employees are troubled by the company’s collaboration with the Israeli military, particularly a significant cloud computing contract.
The discontent among DeepMind staff members has led to several resignations, with at least five employees citing these issues as their reason for leaving. With a total staff count of around 2,000 in the United Kingdom, the impact of these departures is notable.
Google has responded to the situation by emphasizing the importance of open communication with its employees. This follows a previous announcement by a small group of 200 Google and Alphabet employees who formed a union, albeit without the ability to engage in collective bargaining due to their limited representation within the company.
Efforts to unionize among DeepMind team members reflect a growing trend of tech industry workers advocating for better working conditions and ethical practices within their companies. The outcome of this unionization effort will likely have significant implications for the future of labor relations within Google and the broader tech sector.
