(Updates with Google's response in the fourth paragraph.)

Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google DeepMind employees in the UK are seeking to unionize to compel the company to stop selling its artificial intelligence technologies to the defense sector and to cut ties to the Israeli military, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

About 300 UK-based employees out of DeepMind's staff of 2,000 in the UK are seeking to join the Communication Workers Union, the report said.

The move was prompted by Google's reversal of a pledge not to work on AI projects aimed at weaponry or surveillance and over reports Google is selling services to Israel's Ministry of Defense, the report said.

Google has always sought to "develop and deploy AI responsibly," a company spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to MT Newswires. "We encourage constructive and open dialogue with all of our employees -- it's part of our culture."

DeepMind did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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