Google erases promise not to use AI technology for weapons or surveillance
CNN
Google’s updated AI ethics policy removes its promise that it won’t use the technology to pursue weapons and surveillance.
Google’s updated AI ethics policy removes its promise that it won’t use the technology to pursue weapons and surveillance. In a previous version of the principles seen by CNN on the internet archive Wayback Machine, the company included applications it won’t pursue. One such category was weapons or other technology intended to injure people. Another was technology used to surveil beyond international norms. That language is gone on the updated policy page. Since OpenAI launched chatbot ChatGPT in 2022, the artificial intelligence race has advanced at a dizzying pace. While AI has boomed in use, legislation and regulations on transparency and ethics in AI have yet to catch up – and now Google seems to have loosened self-imposed restrictions. In a blog post Tuesday, senior vice president of research, labs, technology & society James Manyika and Google DeepMind head Demis Hassabis said that AI frameworks published by democratic countries have deepened Google’s “understanding of AI’s potential and risks.” “There’s a global competition taking place for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights,” the blog post said.
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