Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons

Google has removed a pledge from its artificial intelligence (AI) principles that had said the company would not use the technology to develop weapons.

The technology giant has rewritten the principles that guide its development and use of AI – which are published online – but a section pledging not to develop tech “that cause or are likely to cause harm” has now been removed.

That section had said the firm would not pursue applications in the areas of weapons or “that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms”.

Instead, the newly streamlined principles now feature a section on “responsible development and deployment” which says the tech giant will implement “appropriate human oversight, due diligence, and feedback mechanisms to align with user goals, social responsibility, and widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.”

In a blog post, Google senior vice president James Manyika and Sir Demis Hassabis, who leads the firm’s AI lab, Google DeepMind, said the company needed to update its AI principles as they had been first published in 2018 and the technology has “evolved rapidly” since then.

“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; one with numerous beneficial uses for society and people around the world, supported by a vibrant AI ecosystem of developers.”

They said this had meant increased international collaborative efforts on common principles, which the blog post said Google was “encouraged” by.

But Mr Manyika and Sir Demis said “global competition” for AI leadership was taking place 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,” they said.

“And we believe that companies, governments, and organisations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.”

There is an ongoing debate among AI experts, governments, regulators, tech firms and academics about how the development powerful emerging technology should be monitored or regulated.

Previous international summits have seen countries and tech firms sign non-binding agreements to develop AI “responsibly”, but no binding international law on the issue is yet in place.

In the past, Google’s contracts to provide technology, such as cloud services, to the US and Israeli military have sparked internal protests from employees.

James Fisher, chief strategy officer at AI firm Qlik, said Google’s decision was concerning, and highlighted the need for countries such as the UK to push for more international governance.

“Changing or removing responsible AI policies raises concerns about how accountable organisations are for their technology, and around the ethical boundaries of AI deployment,” he told the PA news agency.

“AI governance will of course need to flex and evolve as the technology develops, but adherence to certain standards should be a non-negotiable.

“For businesses, this decision shows we are likely to face a complex AI landscape going forwards, where ethical considerations are weighed up against industry competition and geopolitics.

“For the UK, which has attempted to position itself as a leader in AI safety and regulation, this decision only makes it more important to put robust, enforceable AI governance frameworks in place.

“The UK’s ability to balance innovation with ethical safeguards could set a global precedent, but it will require collaboration between government, industry and international partners to ensure AI remains a force for good.”