DeepMind Researcher Resigns in June Over Missing Killer Robot Safeguards in Military AI Deal

According to Beating, Alex Turner, a Google DeepMind AI safety researcher, resigned in June 2026 over the absence of restrictions on autonomous weapons in U.S. military AI contracts. Turner had previously organized over 250 employees to sign a petition and submitted a 25-page alternative proposal to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, requesting human oversight and independent review mechanisms for military AI use. The proposal was not adopted.

Google stated it remains opposed to autonomous weapons lacking human supervision and domestic mass surveillance. Turner countered that these commitments lack legal force, noting Google removed restrictions on weapons and surveillance technology from its AI principles in 2025.