40 Sources
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Google has dropped its promise not to use AI for weapons. It's part of a troubling trend
Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first published in 2018, the tech giant removed statements promising not to pursue: The update came after
[2]
Google has dropped its promise not to use AI for weapons. It's part of a troubling trend
Last week, Google quietly abandoned a long-standing commitment to not use artificial intelligence (AI) technology in weapons or surveillance. In an update to its AI principles, which were first published in 2018, the tech giant removed statements promising not to pursue: technologies that cause or
[3]
Google has made a dangerous u-turn on military AI
Google has removed its commitment to refrain from using AI for weapons or surveillance. The change signals a shift in ethical stance amid growing pressure for military contracts. The move raises concerns about automated warfare, prompting calls for legally binding regulations to ensure human
[4]
From ethics to war: the shift in Google's approach to AI development - Softonic
Google has made a significant shift in its policy regarding artificial intelligence (AI) development, removing its previous commitment not to engage in the creation of dangerous technologies, including weapons. This change occurs in a context where the company had promised, in previous versions of
[5]
Google abandons 'do no harm' AI stance, opens door to military weapons
A hot potato: Google has come a long way since its early days when "Don't be evil" was its guiding principle. This departure has been duly noted before for various reasons. In its latest departure from its original ethos, the company has quietly removed a key passage from its AI principles that
[6]
Remember when Google said no to military AI: Not anymore
Google updated its ethical guidelines on Tuesday, removing its commitments not to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology to weapons or surveillance. The previous version of the company's AI principles included prohibitions on pursuing technologies likely to cause overall harm, including
[7]
Google Quietly Walks Back Promise Not To Use AI for Weapons or Harm
As whispers of AI hype filled the air in 2018, it seemed almost inevitable that we would soon be facing a whole new world, full of near-human robots and cybernetic dogs. But with that came a host of questions: how would it all change our jobs, how might we protect ourselves from an AI takeover, and
[8]
Google abandons policy on using AI as a weapon and for surveillance. What it means
Google updated its principles surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) on Tuesday, removing previously stated commitments to avoid using the technology for weapons development or surveillance purposes. The revised principles were unveiled just weeks after Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other
[9]
Google Revises AI Ethics, No Longer Rules Out Military and Surveillance Use
Instead, Google increasingly emphasizes the need to develop AI for national security. In a recent update to its "AI Principles ," Google has watered down language meant to prevent its tech from being used to cause harm. The changes are part of a wider repositioning on the topic of AI safety that
[10]
Google drops AI weapons ban -- what it means for the future of artificial intelligence
Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Google has removed its long-standing prohibition against using artificial intelligence for weapons and surveillance systems, marking a significant shift in the company's
[11]
Google puts military use of AI back on the table
On February 4, Google updated its "AI principles," a document detailing how the company would and wouldn't use artificial intelligence in its products and services. The old version was split into two sections: "Objectives for AI applications" and "AI applications we will not pursue," and it
[12]
Google now thinks it's OK to use AI for weapons and surveillance
Google has made one of the most substantive changes to its AI principles since first publishing them in 2018. In a change spotted by The Washington Post, the search giant edited the document to remove pledges it had made promising it would not "design or deploy" AI tools for use in any weapons or
[13]
Google spikes its explicit 'no AI for weapons' policy
Will now happily unleash the bots when 'likely overall benefits substantially outweigh the foreseeable risks' Google has published a new set of AI principles that don't mention its previous pledge not to use the tech to develop weapons or surveillance tools that violate international norms. The
[14]
Google removes weapons development, surveillance pledges from AI ethics policy
Google has updated its ethical policies on artificial intelligence, eliminating a pledge to not use AI technology for weapons development and surveillance. According to a now-archived version of Google's AI principles seen on the Wayback Machine, the section titled "Applications we will not
[15]
Google deletes policy against using AI for weapons or surveillance
Google has quietly deleted its pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance, a promise that had been in place since 2018. First spotted by Bloomberg, Google has updated its AI Principles to remove an entire section on artificial intelligence applications it pledged not to pursue.
[16]
Google Takes a U-Turn, Approves Using AI for Weapon and Surveillance
Google has revised its AI policies. In this era of massive AI advancements, it is hard to survive without reevaluating AI policies, but what Google did surprised tech enthusiasts. Surprisingly, it has stepped back in its commitments and allowed AI usage for weapons and surveillance that was
[17]
Google Lifts Self-Imposed Ban on Using AI for Weapons and Surveillance
Google dropped a pledge not to use artificial intelligence for weapons and surveillance systems on Tuesday. And it's just the latest sign that Big Tech is no longer concerned with the potential blowback that can come when consumer-facing tech companies get big, lucrative contracts to develop police
[18]
Google retracts promise not to use AI for weapons or surveillance --...
Google employees are reportedly up in arms over management's decision to walk back a promise not to use artificial intelligence technology to develop weaponry and surveillance tools. The search giant's decision to revise its AI ethical guidelines, announced on Tuesday, marks a significant
[19]
Google pledge against using AI for weapons vanishes
Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance. Revised AI principles were posted just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended the inauguration of US
[20]
Google Ditches Commitment to Not Use AI for Weapons and Surveillance
The company said the change was made due to global competition in AI Google updated its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Principles, a document highlighting the company's vision around the technology, on Tuesday. The Mountain View-based tech giant earlier mentioned four application areas where it
[21]
Google removes AI weapons ban from updated principles
Google has made a significant change to its artificial intelligence ethics, removing a longstanding pledge that the company would not use AI for weapons or surveillance purposes. This update, made to Google's AI principles, eliminates clauses that had previously prevented the tech giant from
[22]
Google backs down on promise not to use AI for weapons or surveillance
Google appears to have loosened up its self-imposed AI restrictions, removing the promise not to use its AI learning for weapons and surveillance. As per CNN, in the new ethics policy from Google this promise has disappeared. As a self-imposed restriction, there's nothing stopping Google from
[23]
Google updates AI Principles, removes military application ban
Disclaimer: This content generated by AI & may have errors or hallucinations. Edit before use. Read our Terms of use Google has updated its AI principles, taking back its promise not to pursue AI applications in weaponry on February 4. The company disclosed this change as a note in its 2018 AI
[24]
Google backpedals on promise to not create AI for use in weapons and surveillance
Google has changed its internal guidelines on what it thinks is okay and not okay to design and deploy AI tools for, as the search engine has altered its AI principles. The change was spotted by The Washington Post, which reports the search engine quietly made significant changes to its AI
[25]
Google releases responsible AI report while removing its anti-weapons pledge
The company's annual reflection on safe AI development comes amid shifting guidance around military AI. The most notable part of Google's latest responsible AI report could be what it doesn't mention. (Spoiler: No word on weapons and surveillance.) On Tuesday, Google released its sixth annual
[26]
Google Lifts a Ban on Using Its AI for Weapons and Surveillance
Google announced Tuesday that it is overhauling the principles governing how it uses artificial intelligence and other advanced technology. The company removed language promising not to pursue "technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm," "weapons or other technologies whose
[27]
Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance
In 2018 the company updated its policies to explicitly exclude applying AI to weapons. Now that promise is gone. Google on Tuesday updated its ethical guidelines around artificial intelligence, removing commitments not to apply the technology to weapons or surveillance. The company's AI
[28]
Google removes pledge to not use AI for weapons, surveillance
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc., during Stanford's 2024 Business, Government, and Society forum in Stanford, California, April 3, 2024. Google has removed a pledge to abstain from using AI for potentially harmful applications, such as weapons and surveillance, according to the company's
[29]
Google owner drops promise not to use AI for weapons
Alphabet guidelines no longer refer to not pursuing technologies that could 'cause or are likely to cause overall harm' The Google owner, Alphabet, has dropped its pledge not to use artificial intelligence for purposes such as developing weapons and surveillance tools. The US technology company
[30]
Google quietly changes stance on using AI for weapons or surveillance - SiliconANGLE
Google quietly changes stance on using AI for weapons or surveillance Google LLC has made a major change to its AI Principles, taking out the part where it used to say it wouldn't use the technology for surveillance or weapons applications. The old policy, which the company first released in
[31]
New Google AI principles no longer ban weapons and surveillance use
However, these promises are now missing from the its updated principles, which were shared in a recent blog post. The updated AI principles come as Google positions itself for a larger role in the AI industry. The company has made strides in offering its technology to governments and is focusing
[32]
Google backtracks on pledge not to make weapons using AI
Google has backtracked on a pledge not to use artificial intelligence (AI) in weapons, saying that free countries should be able to use the technology for national security purposes. The tech giant has scrubbed a longstanding promise not to use the technology to develop weapons capable of harming
[33]
Google owner Alphabet drops promise over 'harmful' AI uses
They argue businesses and democratic governments need to work together on AI that "supports national security". There is debate amongst AI experts and professionals over how the powerful new technology should be governed in broad terms, how far commercial gains should be allowed to determine its
[34]
Google removes pledge to not use AI for weapons from website | TechCrunch
Google removed a pledge to not build AI for weapons or surveillance from its website this week. The change was first spotted by Bloomberg. The company appears to have updated its public AI principles page, erasing a section titled "applications we will not pursue," which was still included as
[35]
Google ditched its pledge not to use AI for weapons and surveillance
The change appears in the tech giant's Responsible AI Progress Report for 2024, released Tuesday, with updated AI Principles that focus on three areas: innovation, responsible AI development and deployment, and collaboration. Under its responsible development and deployment principle, Google said
[36]
Google's updated AI principles leave some wiggle room for causing harm
The gap between Google's Gemini and Assistant teams just got a whole lot wider Summary Google removes pledge to avoid harmful AI applications, signaling shift in stance. Google hints at AI's role in national security and emphasizes collaboration for global protection. New guidelines maintain
[37]
Google scraps promise not to develop AI weapons
Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews. Google updated its artificial intelligence principles on Tuesday to remove commitments around not using the technology in ways
[38]
Google pledge against using AI for weapons vanishes
Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance. Revised AI principles were posted just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended the inauguration of U.S.
[39]
Google Tweaks AI Pledge, Promise Not To 'Cause Harm' Is Missing - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Google, in 2018, pledged not to use AI for weapons, surveilance or to "cause harm." Google previously had strict guidelines when it came to artificial intelligence. The Mountain View, California-based company, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. GOOGGOOGL, once pledged not to use the burgeoning tech
[40]
Google Removes Language on Weapons From Public AI Principles
Alphabet Inc.'s Google has removed a key passage about applications it will not pursue from its publicly listed artificial intelligence principles, which guide the tech giant's work in the industry. The company's AI Principles previously included a passage titled "applications we will not pursue,"
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Google has quietly removed its commitment not to use AI for weapons or surveillance, signaling a shift towards potential military applications amidst growing competition and national security concerns.

In a significant shift from its previous ethical stance, Google has quietly removed key passages from its AI principles that had committed the company to avoid using artificial intelligence for potentially harmful applications, including weapons and surveillance
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. This change, first noticed by Bloomberg, marks a departure from Google's earlier position on responsible AI development5
.The now-deleted section of Google's AI principles, titled "AI applications we will not pursue," had explicitly stated that the company would refrain from developing technologies "that cause or are likely to cause overall harm," with weapons being a specific example
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. This revision comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump revoking former President Joe Biden's executive order aimed at promoting safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI1
.Google's decision follows a recent trend of big tech companies entering the national security arena and accommodating more military applications of AI
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:Related Stories
Google has defended this change, citing global AI competition, complex geopolitical landscapes, and national security interests as reasons for revising its AI principles
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. The company's AI chief, Demis Hassabis, framed the change as inevitable progress rather than a compromise3
.However, this shift has raised concerns among experts and former employees:
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.The revision of Google's AI principles is part of a larger trend among tech giants to reconsider previously held ethical positions
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. This shift could lead to:As the international community watches with concern, there are growing calls for legally binding regulations to ensure human oversight and prevent the development of fully autonomous weapons
3
. The Future of Life Institute has proposed a tiered system for treating military AI systems, similar to the oversight of nuclear facilities3
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