Google DeepMind researchers are bound by in-perpetuity non-disparagement clauses, researcher confirms
BlackHC · x · 2026-10-22
AI governance researcher S. Ó hÉigeartaigh publicly confirms that Google DeepMind researchers are under in-perpetuity non-disparagement clauses forbidding them from ever criticizing the company — a fact he verified with multiple people.
Key points:
- Such clauses are common in tech contracts; even Google's HR can be caught off guard when employees push back
- They're buried in very long contracts; several people only discovered them after keyword-searching
- The clauses create a chilling effect on safety and risk discussions, even as some ex-employees speak out
- The autonomous weapons/surveillance angle is especially galling given Hassabis's long-standing public principles against those uses
The post links a 2020 paper, "Toward Trustworthy AI Development," which argues free critical expression is foundational to AI accountability.
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