"Why I Left Google DeepMind" by TurnTrout

Preface for LessWrong: When I think back on my most cherished memories of this community, I return to those honoring defiance in pursuit of goodness:

• Defying prestigious dogma and searching for raw truth;
• Defying social pressure, acting alone to help someone while others watch;
• Defying your self-expectations (your “role”), instead searching over lines of cause-and-effect to find a winning pathway;
• Defying a powerful foe's threats, because they only threaten since people like you cave;
• Defying the specter of apparent impossibility because you can’t bear to lose.

I cannot return to you and say “I defied and then I won.” But I’m at least here to say “I defied.”

I recommend reading this article on my website since the embeds and typography work better there: click here.

Why I left Google DeepMind

In January, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers killed at least two people. In both cases, a federal agent grasped his gun, aimed it at a peaceful citizen, and shot them dead.


Left: Renée Good, moments before DHS killed her.
Right: Alex Pretti, moments before DHS killed him.

I learned that Google sells its Cloud services to the relevant agencies within DHS. I thought that was [...]



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Outline:

(00:59) Why I left Google DeepMind

[... 42 more sections]

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First published:
July 15th, 2026

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/iKm2FhpWkuuBojm82/why-i-left-google-deepmind

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Images from the article:

<a href='https://res.cloudinary.com/lesswrong-2-0/image/upload/f_aut