George Orwell's novel 1984 has become a point of comparison for some workers at Google's DeepMind lab. They are concerned that a clause in their contracts discourages them from discussing artificial intelligence publicly.
Here's what to know
Many workers had to accept the clause to secure their jobs. A sweeping non-disparagement agreement at the London lab has sparked friction between employees and management, according to The Washington Post.
DeepMind staffers said that the agreement can discourage people from speaking out even without clarity about its enforcement. Neither its legal enforceability nor leadership's willingness to invoke it against employees is clear.
"This technology is just really consequential, and it's also changing really fast," an anonymous staffer told the Post.
For another staffer, enforceability was beside the point. Even "if it's not enforceable," they said, "the reason is to basically intimidate people."
More background
The non-disparagement clause became the focus of an internal discussion group organized by DeepMind employees, according to the Post. Dozens of workers took part.
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Orwell's depiction of a dystopian surveillance state in 1984 figured in some workers' open criticism of the restriction.
"The public wants to know and deserves to know, and often this is the only way that people find out about the harms and potential harms that are happening," the first staffer told the Post.
Where can I learn more?
The concerns at DeepMind echo other disputes over AI accountability and workers' rights.
• Google DeepMind employees have quit over military AI work, voicing objections to company projects.
• In the United States, workers say AI systems track their tone and score their days.
• Amazon faces accusations that AI systems rank warehouses by union risk, raising labor concerns.
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has urged an AI slowdown and outside access for safety checks.
• Eight states accuse OpenAI of misleading users about safety, with some seeking testing halts.
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