US, Mar 7: Employee groups and labour organisations representing thousands of workers at major technology companies in the United States have called on corporate leaders to reject government pressure to loosen safeguards on artificial intelligence systems used in military operations.
In an open statement circulated by worker advocacy group No Tech For Apartheid, employees associated with companies including Amazon, Google and Microsoft urged their employers to resist demands from the US Department of Defense related to the use of advanced AI systems.
The statement said the Pentagon had asked AI company Anthropic to remove certain safety restrictions from its AI model, Claude, which is reportedly being used in classified defence-related work. According to the workers’ groups, the safeguards include restrictions against the use of AI for large-scale domestic surveillance and limits preventing fully autonomous weapons systems that could operate without human oversight.The letter argued that removing such guardrails could allow the development or deployment of AI-powered systems capable of carrying out lethal actions without direct human control.
Employee representatives also called on technology companies to be more transparent about contracts and collaborations with government agencies, including those involved in national security and immigration enforcement.
The groups said their organisations represent workers concerned about issues such as workplace protections, environmental responsibility and the potential militarisation of advanced technology.
The statement followed reports that the US Department of Defense had set a deadline for Anthropic to respond to the request to change the restrictions. Anthropic has indicated it intends to maintain the safeguards included in its existing agreements.Worker advocates warned that if the restrictions remain in place, defence authorities may seek to partner with other technology providers whose systems do not include similar limitations.
The development highlights growing debate within the technology sector over the role of artificial intelligence in military and security applications, as well as the ethical responsibilities of companies developing advanced digital systems.
