DeepMind insider: Pentagon deal shows 'trust is not governance' after safeguards dismantled
BlackHC · x · 2026-10-01
DeepMind employee Andreas Kirsch, writing personally as a UTAW union member, published an essay titled "Trust is not Governance," prompted by Google's reported April 27 contract with the US Department of Defense.
Key points:
- DeepMind long bet that a strong safety culture and trust-based leadership could withstand outside pressure, but voluntary commitments proved insufficient: bids for greater independence within Google failed, and earlier safeguards were weakened or dismantled.
- Real governance requires independent oversight, transparency, accountability, and protected employee voice, including whistleblower protection and the ability to raise ethical objections without retaliation.
- The essay ties into the UTAW@Google campaign on AI principles, military and surveillance uses, and moral refusal rights.
Kirsch stresses he wrote it outside working hours and speaks only for himself, not for Google or DeepMind.
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