Google and OpenAI Employees Sign Solidarity Letter
Over 300 Google employees and 60+ OpenAI employees sign the "We Will Not Be Divided" open letter supporting Anthropic's stance against Pentagon demands to remove AI safety guardrails.
On February 27, 2026 — the same day the Pentagon designated Anthropic a supply chain risk and OpenAI announced its classified systems deal — over 300 Google employees and more than 60 OpenAI employees published an open letter titled “We Will Not Be Divided.” The letter expressed solidarity with Anthropic’s refusal to remove safety guardrails and warned that the Pentagon’s actions threatened the entire AI industry’s ability to develop technology responsibly.
The letter was notable for its cross-company composition. Google and OpenAI employees — working at Anthropic’s direct competitors — signed their names publicly in support of a rival’s position. The signatories argued that the government’s approach of isolating and punishing one company was a “divide and conquer” strategy designed to prevent the AI industry from establishing collective safety standards. “If Anthropic can be designated a national security threat for maintaining safety guardrails, then no AI company is safe,” the letter stated.
The OpenAI signatories were particularly significant given that their employer had just signed a deal to replace Anthropic on classified Pentagon systems. Several of the OpenAI employees who signed held senior technical positions and stated explicitly that they had not been consulted about the Pentagon deal. The letter created internal tension at OpenAI, where leadership was trying to position the company as a willing government partner while a visible minority of its workforce publicly opposed the terms of that partnership.
Google’s response was measured — a spokesperson said the company “respects employees’ rights to express their views” but declined to comment on the substance of the letter. OpenAI did not publicly respond, though internal communications reportedly warned employees that signing the letter could create “conflicts of interest” given the company’s new defense relationships.