On Tuesday, Google updated its artificial intelligence (AI) principles, removing previous commitments not to use AI for weapons development or surveillance.
The revised principles came shortly after Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other tech leaders attended the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
When asked by AFP about the change, a Google spokesperson pointed to a blog post outlining the company’s AI principles, which no longer referenced the promises made by Pichai in 2018.
The updated AI principles, shared by Google DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis and research labs senior vice president James Manyika, state: “We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights,” adding that companies, governments, and organizations that share these values should collaborate to create AI that promotes global growth, protects people, and supports national security.
Earlier, Pichai had pledged that Google would not use AI for harmful weapons or for surveillance that violated internationally accepted norms, but this language was absent from the updated principles.
Upon taking office, Trump reversed an executive order from his predecessor, Joe Biden, that had mandated safety standards for AI. As a result, U.S. companies now face fewer obligations, such as the requirement to share test results indicating significant risks AI may pose to the country, its economy, or its citizens.
Google highlighted in its blog post that it releases an annual report on its AI work and progress.
“There’s a global competition taking place for AI leadership within an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape,” said Hassabis and Manyika. “Billions of people are using AI in their everyday lives.”
Google’s original AI principles were introduced in response to employee protests over the company’s involvement in a Pentagon project aimed at using AI to enhance weapon systems’ target identification.
