http://x.com/i/article/2071918707169693696
4:57 AM · Jun 30, 2026 · 68 Views
Google DeepMind's Andreas Kirsch argues internal safety culture is insufficient, citing Google's Pentagon contract
Story Overview
A DeepMind researcher is using the Pentagon contract as the clearest example yet that relying on internal safety norms and personal trust falls short when AI gets tied to classified military work, pushing instead for employees to organize around formal oversight demands.
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Policy Risk
Trust falls short of accountability
Kirsch frames the deal as exposing the gap between informal culture and enforceable governance, arguing that transparency and independent checks become essential once stakes involve government use of models.
Open Question
Union drive as the next lever
He identifies the ongoing UTAW recognition effort among UK staff as the most concrete route to press for those structures, though outcomes around formal recognition remain unsettled in available details.
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Positive users praise the essay urging stronger governance at DeepMind over its Pentagon contract, thanking the author for highlighting the need for independent oversight.
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Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦@BlackHC
Google's Pentagon contract is the clearest test yet of DeepMind's bet that a strong safety culture and personal trust can stand in for real governance (independent oversight, transparency, accountability). It can't. Trust is not governance.
It's on us as Google DeepMind employees to demand it, and @UTAW_uk's union recognition push may be the most realistic path to get there before it's too late.
A serious essay I've been working on for a while
Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦@BlackHC
http://x.com/i/article/2071918707169693696
3hViews 127Likes 0Bookmarks 0
LIKES1
Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦@BlackHC
@S_OhEigeartaigh Thank you! 🙏
Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh@S_OhEigeartaigh
Insightful essay from Andreas Kirsch on the GDM/Pentagon situation, the importance of employee engagement, and the importance of robust governance. In an ideal world, I would hope that corporate governance and national governance can provide checks and balances to each other, with enough transparency that academia and civil society can hold both to account.
But it's clear we're not there yet. The stakes will only keep getting higher, and it's important we use each of these situations as an opportunity to learn every possible lesson and be better prepared.
2hViews 3Likes 1Bookmarks 0
RETWEETS1REPLIES1
Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh@S_OhEigeartaigh
Insightful essay from Andreas Kirsch on the GDM/Pentagon situation, the importance of employee engagement, and the importance of robust governance. In an ideal world, I would hope that corporate governance and national governance can provide checks and balances to each other, with enough transparency that academia and civil society can hold both to account.
But it's clear we're not there yet. The stakes will only keep getting higher, and it's important we use each of these situations as an opportunity to learn every possible lesson and be better prepared.
Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦@BlackHC
Google's Pentagon contract is the clearest test yet of DeepMind's bet that a strong safety culture and personal trust can stand in for real governance (independent oversight, transparency, accountability). It can't. Trust is not governance.
It's on us as Google DeepMind employees to demand it, and @UTAW_uk's union recognition push may be the most realistic path to get there before it's too late.
A serious essay I've been working on for a while
2hViews 122Likes 1Bookmarks 0
Neel Rajani@NeelRajani_
@BlackHC Very well written!
3hViews 5Likes 1
Andreas Kirsch 🇺🇦@BlackHC
@NeelRajani_ Thank you! 🙏 You won't believe how much time I've spent reading and rereading it
3hViews 7
Strata@ChainZenit
@BlackHC this is such a cold take but you’re completely right.
3hViews 1