Google DeepMind in talks with UK unions amid staff concern over US and Israel’s AI use

Key points

• Google DeepMind has agreed to enter formal talks with UK tech workers that could lead to trade union representation amid growing staff concerns about the use of its AI by the US and Israeli governments’ defence and intelligence.
• In a groundbreaking move, the artificial intelligence arm of the multi-trillion dollar Google empire, led by the Nobel prize winner Demis Hassabis, has agreed to meet the Communications Workers Union and Unite at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) after several hundred workers at its London headquarters this month voted to unionise.
• Google DeepMind declined to voluntarily recognise the unions for collective bargaining purposes, but said in a staff email on Wednesday that talks at Acas “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 is facing a court challenge...