Google employees based in the United States staged protests at the tech giant’s offices in New York City, California, and Seattle last week to oppose a $1.2 billion contract with the Israeli government. The joint contract, known as Project Nimbus and signed between Google and Amazon in 2021, aims to provide cloud computing infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), and other technology services to the Israeli government and its military, which has faced criticism for its actions in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The Israeli government’s military offensive in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and the destruction of large parts of the Palestinian coastal enclave. The offensive, launched in October, has been justified by Israel as a response to an attack by Hamas fighters. However, the use of AI and other technologies in conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine has raised concerns among tech workers, leading to protests against military collaborations.
The protests in New York and California were organized by No Tech For Apartheid, a group that has been advocating against Project Nimbus since 2021. Employees are demanding transparency about how their work will be used, fearing that the technology provided to Israel could be used for harmful purposes. Similar clashes have occurred at Amazon and Facebook parent Meta over similar concerns.
Google has defended the Nimbus contract, stating that it is not directed at sensitive or military workloads related to weapons or intelligence services. However, activists and academics have raised alarm about the use of AI by Israel to target Palestinians, violating international laws.
Despite warnings from Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, tech workers have continued their protests against the collaboration with the Israeli military. This is not the first time tech workers have opposed such collaborations, with previous protests against contracts with the Pentagon and other military institutions.
Other tech companies, such as Palantir Technologies, have also been criticized for their ties to the Israeli military. The involvement of tech companies in providing technology for military purposes has sparked concerns about the misuse of AI and surveillance capabilities in conflicts around the world. As the protests continue, the debate over tech companies’ involvement in military collaborations is likely to intensify.