Employees at OpenAI and Google are backing a joint petition opposing the military use of their companies’ AI systems, particularly for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons operating without human oversight.
The petition, titled “We Will Not Be Divided,” calls on current and former staff to resist what they describe as dangerous AI deployments. Signers are verified and may remain anonymous. As of Friday, more than 220 employees — 176 from Google and 47 from OpenAI — had signed.
The letter comes amid reports that the Pentagon is pressuring Anthropic to expand military access to its AI models, potentially invoking the Defense Production Act. It also claims the Defense Department is in talks with Google and OpenAI to secure similar access.
According to the petition, officials are attempting to pressure companies individually, creating fear that competitors may comply first. Signers urge their leadership to stand together and refuse demands to use AI for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous killing without human control.