Google DeepMind researchers Sofia Liguori and Andreas Kirsch were reported to have resigned over the company’s military AI work, according to reports published on October 21, 2026. The BBC placed Liguori’s departure in the week of October 21 and Kirsch’s earlier in October. Neither researcher’s exact departure date was reported.
Liguori told The Intercept she opposed AI use in warfare and targeting broadly, not only autonomous weapons. Kirsch told the BBC he believed Google’s oversight was inadequate for military and classified deployments and that current AI models were not robust enough for such tasks.
What Google said about its military work
The BBC reported that Google signed a Pentagon agreement earlier in 2026. It described the agreement as allowing AI models to be used for “any lawful government purpose” in classified military work, while saying domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, including target selection, should not occur without appropriate human oversight and control.
Google said it applies a consistent review process to public-sector contracts, follows its acceptable use policies and AI principles, and provides channels for employees to raise concerns. The company also said it has workplace policies against retaliation.
Employee opposition goes back to 2024
An earlier protest preceded the reported resignations. Engadget reported, citing TIME, that a letter opposing Google’s military contracts was drafted on May 16, 2024, and signed by about 200 DeepMind employees, approximately 5% of the organization’s headcount. Those figures describe the letter’s reported support at the time.
Project Nimbus was a separate Google-Amazon agreement from 2024, valued at $1.2 billion. The BBC described it as providing AI technology and cloud infrastructure to Israel’s government and military, while quoting Google’s statement that the agreement was not directed at highly sensitive, classified or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services. The Intercept characterized Nimbus as supplying AI tools to Israel’s military and weapons manufacturers.
