Google's pledge against using AI for weapons vanishes
1. Company posts revised AI principles just weeks after its chief executive, other tech people attended Trump's inauguration
SAN FRANCISCO: Google has revised its artificial intelligence (AI) principles, removing commitments to avoid using the technology for weapons or surveillance.
The update came just weeks after Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other tech leaders attended the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The revised AI principles were published on Tuesday, omitting previous pledges made by Pichai in 2018.
When asked about the change, a Google spokesperson pointed to a blog post outlining the company's AI principles, which no longer included promises to refrain from weaponizing AI or using it for surveillance in ways that violate international norms.
"We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights," wrote Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and research labs senior vice president James Manyika in the updated post.
The statement emphasized collaboration between companies, governments, and organizations that share these values to develop AI that ensures security, fosters global growth, and protects people.
Pichai had previously assured that Google would not create AI for weapons designed to cause harm or for surveillance that breaches internationally accepted standards. However, this language was absent from the updated AI principles shared on Tuesday.
The revision follows Trump’s swift reversal of an executive order by former President Joe Biden, which had mandated AI safety measures. With fewer regulatory obligations, U.S. AI firms now face less scrutiny over risks posed by their technology to national security, the economy, or citizens.
Google highlighted its commitment to transparency by publishing an annual AI report.
"There is a global competition for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape," Hassabis and Manyika noted. "Billions of people are using AI in their everyday lives."
Google’s initial AI principles were introduced in response to internal backlash over its participation in a Pentagon research project aimed at using AI to enhance weapons systems' targeting capabilities. The company later withdrew from the project.
