Google employees protest $1.2 billion Israel contract over AI ethics concerns
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Google workers are protesting Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between Google, Amazon, and Israel, due to concerns it will aid military operations and human rights violations.
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40 Google employees are organizing protests; they claim poor oversight means the powerful AI and cloud computing tools could be used for problematic surveillance, targeting, or weaponization.
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Google fired software engineer Eddie Hatfield after he disrupted a Google event promoting business with Israel, sparking further protests. Two employees have resigned over Project Nimbus.
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Protesters argue the contract violates Google's AI principles, which state it won't pursue technologies likely to cause overall harm or support violations of human rights or international law.
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Employees say dissent inside Google is growing despite fears of retaliation, with the firing of Hatfield seen as an attempt to silence criticism of Project Nimbus.