Google's U-turn: Removes pledge not to build AI for weapons
What's the story
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has updated its guidelines on artificial intelligence (AI) use. The new principles no longer include a commitment to stay away from using AI for things like weapon development and surveillance tools. This is a major departure from the firm's previous stance that explicitly ruled out uses "likely to cause harm."
Guideline shift
New guidelines focus on responsible AI deployment
Notably, the revised guidelines also include a section on "responsible development and deployment." In this, Google promises to implement "appropriate human oversight, due diligence, and feedback mechanisms." The idea is to ensure that the AI aligns with user goals, social responsibility, and widely accepted principles of international law and human rights. This change shows how Google's approach toward AI use is evolving.
Defense stance
Executives defend revised AI principles
Google's Senior Vice President, James Manyika, and head of the AI lab Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, have defended the revision in a blog post. They argue that businesses and democratic governments need to collaborate on AI that "supports national security." The defense comes amid ongoing debates among AI experts about the governance of this powerful new technology and its potential risks to humanity.
Principle evolution
Google's original AI principles needed updating
The blog post further detailed that the firm's original AI principles, published in 2018, needed to be updated in light of technological advancements. "Billions of people are using AI in their everyday lives. It has moved from a niche research topic in the lab to a technology that is becoming as pervasive as mobile phones and the internet itself," the post read.
Geopolitical influence
Commitment to AI development amid geopolitical complexities
In their blog post, Hassabis and Manyika noted the growing complexity of the geopolitical landscape. They stressed their belief that democracies should take the lead in AI development, driven by core values such as freedom, equality, and respect for human rights. The executives also called for collaboration between companies, governments, and organizations with these values to develop AI that protects people, drives global growth, and supports national security.
Financial outlook
Google's financial report and AI investment plans
The blog post came just ahead of Alphabet's end-of-year financial report, which revealed weaker-than-expected results, affecting its share price. That was despite a 10% rise in revenue from digital advertising - largely due to US election spending. Now, the company intends to spend $75 billion on AI projects this year. This will be directed toward infrastructure for running AI, AI research, and applications like AI-powered search.