Tech Workers Protest Against Use of AI in Israel’s War on Gaza
Technology workers are expressing their deep concerns over the use of artificial intelligence and other cloud technologies by Israel in its ongoing conflict with Gaza, condemning it as an enabler of genocide.
Google Employees Stage Protests
Last week, Google employees in the United States staged protests at the tech giant’s offices in New York City, California, and Seattle to oppose a $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government known as Project Nimbus. The contract, signed in 2021, aims to provide cloud computing infrastructure and AI services to the Israeli government and its military, which has been widely criticized for its ongoing war on Gaza.
Condemnation of Project Nimbus
Employees are opposing their employer’s ties with Israel, which is facing a genocide charge for its war on Gaza at the World Court. They fear that the technology provided through Project Nimbus could be used to target and harm Palestinians.
“It is impossible to feel excited and energized to work when you know your company is providing the Israeli government products that are helping it commit atrocities in Palestine,” said Tina Vachovsky, a staff software engineer at Google, in a testimonial published on the No Tech for Apartheid website.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability
Activists and academics have also raised concerns about Israel’s use of AI to target Palestinians, while legal scholars argue that the use of AI in war violates international laws.
“There’s actually a shocking lack of transparency around exactly what this project covers,” said Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “So it’s a project that marks and sort of highlights the direct connections that big technology companies in the United States have, not only to the so-called military-industrial complex, but to directly aiding and abetting the Israeli government.”
Google’s Response
In response to the protests, Google has stated that the Nimbus contract “is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services.” However, the tech giant has faced criticism for firing at least 28 employees who participated in the protests and arresting nine others for sit-ins at its offices.
History of Tech Workers Protesting Military Collaborations
This is not the first time that tech workers have voiced their opposition to collaborations with militaries. In 2018, thousands of Google employees protested against a contract with the Pentagon known as Project Maven, which involved the use of AI technology to analyze drone surveillance footage.
In 2017, employees of Amazon and Google expressed their concerns about Project Nimbus in an open letter published by The Guardian: “We believe that the technology we build should work to serve and uplift people everywhere, including all of our users. As workers who keep these companies running, we are morally obligated to speak out against violations of these core values. For this reason, we are compelled to call on the leaders of Amazon and Google to pull out of Project Nimbus and cut all ties with the Israeli military.”
Other Tech Companies Involved
Project Nimbus is not an isolated case. The report also highlights the involvement of other tech companies, such as Palantir Technologies, in providing AI and surveillance solutions to the Israeli military.
Global Implications
The use of AI and other technologies in modern warfare raises serious ethical and legal concerns. Activists and experts warn that the introduction of new technologies can come at a great human cost if not properly vetted and regulated.
“Everybody knows these AI systems will make mistakes… so that there will be wrongful deaths and wrongful assassinations as we’ve seen with so many civilian people in Gaza,” said Srinivasan.
