The shift also comes amid broader changes within Google, including a Wall Street Journal report stating that the company is dropping diversity hiring targets and removing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its parent company Alphabet’s annual report.
Controversial Contracts
For years, worker activists have accused Google of indirectly contributing to military operations through its “Nimbus” cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government. Although Google has maintained that Nimbus is not designed for military use, reports have raised concerns about its role in conflict.
In January 2024, The Washington Post revealed that Google had expanded sales of its AI tools to Israel’s military following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack, though the documents obtained did not specify how the technology was being utilized.
Protests against Google’s involvement in Nimbus have intensified. In December 2023, demonstrators gathered outside Google’s San Francisco office, demanding an end to the contract.
