Why I Left Google DeepMind
The Pond 3 months ago 18
A Google DeepMind researcher left the company after failing to persuade leadership to divest from Department of Homeland Security contracts and to add restrictions against lethal autonomous weapons in a Pentagon AI deal. The author spent months seeking support from prominent AI ethics figures like Jeff Dean and Stuart Russell, but found them unwilling to use their leverage despite previous public commitments. Google signed a military AI contract with weaker restrictions than OpenAI's, prompting the author's departure because they could not remain in good conscience.