"Google Faces Ethics Controversy Over Gemini Support for Israeli Defense Contractor"

Former Employee Files SEC Complaint
"Responded to Requests for AI Improvements to Identify Drones, Armored Vehicles, and Soldiers"
Google Denies Allegations, but Internal Backlash Expected

Google is facing internal whistleblower allegations that it provided artificial intelligence (AI) technology support to a defense contractor under contract with the Israeli military. This is seen as a violation of the company's own ethical guidelines, which prohibit the application of AI to weapons-related technologies, and the controversy is expected to intensify amid employee backlash.

The Washington Post reported on February 1, 2024 (local time) that Google supported its AI model Gemini to analyze drone footage for an Israeli defense company. The whistleblower, a former employee, has also filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Google Gemini AI advertisements are being displayed at The Sphere in Las Vegas, USA. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to the complaint, in July 2024, Google’s cloud computing division received a customer support request from an individual using an Israeli military email address. The email requested improvements to Gemini to more accurately identify objects such as drones, armored vehicles, and soldiers in aerial footage. In response, employees in Google’s cloud computing division conducted internal tests to address the customer’s request.

The Washington Post reported that the individual who requested the service improvement had a name matching one on the employee list of the Israeli tech company CloudX. The whistleblower pointed out that CloudX is a partner of the Israeli military. The company also sponsored the “IT Technology Conference for the Israeli Military” held in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2024.

At the time, Google’s official AI principles stated that it would not use AI for weapons-related technologies or for surveillance activities that violate “internationally accepted norms.” However, if AI was provided to a contractor for the Israel Defense Forces involved in airstrikes on Gaza, this would constitute a violation of those principles. The whistleblower told the SEC, “Google deceived investors and regulators by acting in contradiction to its own public policies, thus violating securities laws.”

The whistleblower, who requested anonymity, told The Washington Post, “Many of my projects at Google went through internal AI ethics review processes,” adding, “The company regularly reminds employees how important the AI principles are. However, when it came to Israel and Gaza, the approach was completely the opposite.”

Google maintains that there was no violation of its principles. A Google spokesperson stated, “The usage of AI services by the account in question did not reach a significant level, so it cannot be considered a violation of our AI principles,” adding, “We responded to a general usage inquiry as we would for any other customer, and there was no additional technical support provided.”

However, given the ongoing employee backlash over Google’s business with Israel, the controversy is unlikely to subside soon. In 2021, when Google and Amazon secured a $1.2 billion cloud contract with the Israeli government known as Project Nimbus, employees who opposed the deal staged protests.

Subsequently, in April 2024, when employees staged a sit-in at company offices demanding an end to cooperation with the Israeli government, Google fired more than 50 employees involved in the protest.

The Washington Post pointed out, “When Google went public in 2004, it adopted the motto ‘Don’t be evil’ and focused on consumer and enterprise services, but recently, as company leadership has pursued defense contracts, it has sparked employee opposition.”