Google DeepMind workers vote to unionize over military AI contracts, with 98 percent of CWU members supporting the move

Staffers at Google DeepMind's London headquarters voted to unionize through the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite the Union, with 98 percent of CWU members voting in support. The unionization effort, if successful, would secure representation for at least 1,000 staff based at the headquarters. Management has 10 working days to voluntarily recognize the unionization before legal processes are launched.

The union's demands include a clear commitment from Google to not develop weapons or technologies that harm or surveil people, negotiations around AI use that "materially affect" workers' roles or job security, and the right for workers to abstain from projects that violate their personal moral or ethical standards. DeepMind staff globally are also considering in-person protests and "research strikes," where they abstain from working on improvements to Google AI services like Gemini AI assistant.

This unionization bid follows a week in which hundreds of Google employees signed an open letter demanding the company refuse classified AI contracts with the Pentagon. Google, alongside OpenAI and Nvidia, subsequently signed deals reportedly allowing the US Department of Defense to use their AI models for "any lawful government purpose." In 2024, Google fired more than 50 staffers in response to a protest over the company's military ties to the Israeli government.