Recent revelations indicate that Google’s role in supplying AI tools to Israel during the ongoing war with Hamas is significantly more extensive than previously understood. A new investigative report from The Washington Post has uncovered that Google employees have been actively collaborating with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s Defense Ministry (IDM) to broaden their access to AI-driven capabilities. This effort stems from Google’s $1.2 billion Nimbus cloud computing contract with Israel, signed in 2021 in partnership with Amazon.
Internal company documents reveal that following the October 7 attacks, Google’s cloud division employees repeatedly advocated for enhanced access to Google’s AI technology on Israel’s behalf. One particular document indicates that an employee escalated IDM’s urgent requests for broader access to Google’s Vertex AI platform, expressing concern that Israel might turn to Amazon instead—potentially resulting in a loss of business for Google. Another internal memo from November 2023 reportedly shows an employee thanking a colleague for their assistance in fulfilling Israel’s AI demands.
Further records from 2024 suggest that these requests persisted well into November, with new appeals for the IDF to gain access to Google’s Gemini AI. The objective was to enhance the military’s capacity to process audio and documentation more efficiently. However, it remains unclear how earlier access to AI technologies has been utilized in the context of Israel’s military operations.
The disclosure adds fuel to ongoing employee opposition to Google’s Nimbus contract. Since its inception, many Google employees have criticized the company’s involvement with Israel’s government, with protests escalating in response to the war. Despite calls to terminate the contract, Google has responded with firings—reportedly dismissing over 50 employees for what it described as “disruptive behavior.” In mid-2024, over 100 employees, including managers and human rights advocates within the company, urged leadership to reassess the contract, but their concerns were ignored.
These revelations bring renewed scrutiny to Google’s role in global geopolitics and the ethical considerations of providing cutting-edge AI technology to military clients.
