Google has been found to have secretly worked with the Israeli military on artificial intelligence tools, despite the company's previous denials of such collaboration. According to documents obtained by the Washington Post, employees at Google's cloud division worked directly with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the aftermath of the Gaza Strip ground invasion.

The revelations come as a surprise, given Google's previous statements that it only worked with civilian government ministries. In April 2024, Anna Kowalczyk, the external communications manager for Google Cloud, told The Verge that the Nimbus contract was for workloads running on Google's commercial cloud by Israeli government ministries, and that the work was not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services.

However, the documents reveal that Google employees worked closely with the IDF, even escalating the military's requests for access to Google's AI technology. In one instance, an employee warned that Google needed to quickly respond to the military's requests, or else Israel would turn to Amazon for its cloud computing needs. This suggests that Google was motivated by a desire to beat out its competitor, Amazon, in securing the lucrative contract.

The news raises questions about Google's transparency and accountability, particularly in light of the company's treatment of employees who protested the Project Nimbus contract. In 2023, Google fired 28 employees who staged sit-in protests at the company's offices in New York and California, some of whom were also arrested during the demonstrations. The employees were protesting the company's involvement in the $1.2 billion contract for cloud computing services with the Israeli government.

The controversy highlights the complex ethical landscape of AI development and deployment. As AI technology becomes increasingly pervasive, companies like Google must navigate the risks and responsibilities that come with providing such powerful tools to governments and military organizations. The revelation of Google's secret collaboration with the IDF serves as a reminder of the need for transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI technology.

Google has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter. As the story continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the company will address these allegations and what implications they may have for the future of AI development and deployment.