BBC News Mundo reported on Oct. 23, 2026, that Google DeepMind research engineer Sofia Liguori resigned during that week after three years at the company, and that AI researcher Andreas Kirsch had resigned in early October. Liguori objected to Google’s military AI work; Kirsch criticized the company’s governance and oversight of classified deployments.
NeoTeo’s earlier coverage examined the reported departures of two Google DeepMind researchers over military AI contracts. The BBC’s interview adds Liguori’s account of a restriction in her employment contract.
What Liguori and Kirsch said about leaving
Liguori told the BBC that she objected to Google’s growing work with the U.S. and Israeli militaries and had lost faith in the company’s stated ethical values. She also said her employment contract, in principle, barred her from criticizing Google for the rest of her life.
Kirsch criticized Google’s governance and oversight of military AI in classified settings. He said the company appeared to have limited visibility into how its AI was deployed and argued that current AI models were not robust enough for battlefield tasks.
Google’s response and the reported Pentagon terms
Google told the BBC that it reviews public-sector contracts under its acceptable-use policies and AI principles. The company said employees have dedicated channels to raise concerns and workplace policies against retaliation.
The BBC reported that Google’s Pentagon agreement, signed earlier in 2026, permits AI use for any legitimate government purpose. It described restrictions on domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, including target selection, when adequate human oversight and control are absent.
Employee opposition also took collective forms
Engadget reported that a letter drafted on May 16, 2024, urging Google to drop military contracts drew about 200 DeepMind employee signatures, roughly 5% of the lab’s headcount.
Novara Media reported that UK-based Google DeepMind workers voted to unionize in April 2026 and sought recognition with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Unite.
