Google DeepMind researchers resign over military AI contracts

Sourcing note: this report rests on a single reporting chain. The BBC reported the resignations on October 21, 2026, and the other coverage found, including Daily AI Brief and MadRobot, reports the BBC interviews rather than independent reporting. The contract terms and the researchers' accounts below are as the BBC reported them, and this item will be updated when independent reporting appears.

Several Google DeepMind employees have resigned or are preparing to leave over the company's military AI work. Research engineer Sofia Liguori resigned this week after three years, citing Google's expanding work with the US and Israeli militaries. Researcher Andreas Kirsch left earlier in October, saying governance and oversight are not sufficient for military and classified settings, that Google appears to have limited visibility into Pentagon deployments, and that it appears to have no clear power to block specific uses. The Pentagon agreement, signed earlier this year, permits use for any lawful government purpose while barring domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, including target selection, without appropriate human oversight. Google said it reviews public sector contracts against its acceptable use policies and AI principles and maintains channels for employees to raise ethical concerns, with policies against retaliation.

Sources: Daily AI Brief; MadRobot