Google DeepMind has agreed to begin formal discussions with United Kingdom tech workers that could pave the way for trade union representation, amid rising employee concerns over the use of its artificial intelligence technology by the US and Israeli governments for defence and intelligence purposes.
In a landmark development, the AI division of the company, headed by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Demis Hassabis, has agreed to meet with the Communications Workers Union and Unite at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.
The move follows a vote earlier this month by staff at its London headquarters to pursue unionisation.
Although Google DeepMind declined to voluntarily recognise the unions for collective bargaining, the company said in an internal email on Wednesday that the Acas discussions “may lead to a formal ballot in a few months’ time, giving all eligible employees the opportunity to vote on whether they want to be represented by the unions.”
Google facing a legal challenge from a Google Deepmind AI researcher of Palestinian heritage, who alleges he was unfairly dismissed after protesting the company’s work connected to the Israeli government.
The researcher is member of the United Tech and Allied Workers’ Union, a branch of the CWU.
Israeli officials have previously credited Google’s cloud computing infrastructure with enabling “phenomenal things” to take place in combat during the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, hundreds of employees have signed petitions expressing concern about how the technology is being used, with unease growing since Google’s 2025 decision to drop its earlier commitment not to permit its technologies to be used for harmful weapons or surveillance that violates international norms.
Israeli officials have previously credited Google’s cloud computing infrastructure with enabling “phenomenal things” to take place in combat during the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, hundreds of employees have signed petitions expressing concern about how the technology is being used, with unease growing since Google’s 2025 decision to drop its earlier commitment not to permit its technologies to be used for harmful weapons or surveillance that violates international norms.
