Hundreds of Google and OpenAI staff have signed an open letter backing Anthropic’s refusal to meet Pentagon demands for unrestricted AI access, urging their own leaders to maintain ethical red lines. The petition, “We Will Not Be Divided,” had 266 Google and 65 OpenAI employees as of Friday.
The letter cites reports that the Defense Department pressed Anthropic to allow AI use for “domestic mass surveillance and autonomously killing people without human oversight.” After Anthropic refused, the Pentagon reportedly turned to Google and OpenAI, hoping to secure what Anthropic denied.
Staff accuse the DoD of trying to “divide each company with fear that the other will give in” and call for solidarity. They urge leaders to “stand together to continue to refuse” the demands.
This follows an internal Google letter to chief scientist Jeff Dean, urging the company to mirror Anthropic’s stance. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei reaffirmed the company’s position, stating its contracts explicitly ban mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons, arguing such uses could undermine democratic values and put lives at risk.
