# Google Employee Letter on Classified AI (2026)

**Type:** Employee mobilization / internal governance action  
**Date:** April 27, 2026  
**Signatories:** 580+ Google employees including 20+ directors/VPs and senior DeepMind researchers  
**Target:** CEO Sundar Pichai  
**Demand:** Bar Pentagon from using Google AI for classified work

## Context

Google already deployed Gemini to 3 million Pentagon personnel through GenAI.mil for unclassified work. Company negotiating classified expansion with Pentagon pushing "all lawful uses" contract language. Google proposed language prohibiting domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons "without appropriate human control."

## Key Argument

Structural monitoring incompatibility: "On air-gapped classified networks, Google cannot monitor how its AI is used — making 'trust us' the only guardrail against autonomous weapons and mass surveillance."

## Historical Comparison

- **2018 Project Maven:** 4,000+ signatories → won (contract cancelled)
- **2026 Classified contract:** 580+ signatories → outcome pending
- **Reduction:** ~85% fewer signatories despite 8 years company growth

## DeepMind Sub-Letter

100+ DeepMind employees signed separate internal letter demanding no DeepMind research or models be used for weapons development or autonomous targeting.

## Corporate Principles Context

February 4, 2025: Google removed "Applications we will not pursue" section from AI principles, including explicit prohibitions on weapons and surveillance. New language: "proceed where benefits substantially exceed foreseeable risks." This removal preceded classified contract negotiation by 14+ months.

## Anthropic Comparison

Letter notes Anthropic designated "supply chain risk" by Pentagon in February 2026 after requesting categorical prohibition on autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance—same position Google employees now requesting.

## Status

Outcome pending as of April 27, 2026.

## Timeline

- **2026-04-27** — 580+ Google employees including 20+ directors/VPs sign letter to Pichai demanding rejection of classified Pentagon AI contract