 "Google drops pledge on never using AI for weapons, surveillance. Image Credit: Reuters")
Tech giant Google has updated its policies on use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and removed the promise that it will never use an AI Model for developing weapons and mass surveillance tools.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has revised its policies on using AI and removed a section that rules this out.
The old policy on AI was issued in 2018. It stated that Google would not pursue any AI developments likely to cause harm and that it would not design or use any AI tool that could be used for mass surveillance.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Google executives James Manyika and Demis Hassabis defended the move. They emphasised that AI frameworks from democratic countries have helped Google better understand 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.
“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.”
Alphabet fell short of market expectations
The blog post came just before Alphabet’s year-end financial report. The numbers for this year fell short of market expectations and caused a drop in its share price.
Despite expectations of bad numbers, revenue from digital advertising rose by 10 per cent. The reason for this could be elections in the United States.
Alphabet announced plans to invest $75 billion in AI this year. The investment is 29 per cent more than analysts had predicted. The company is focusing on AI infrastructure, research, and applications like AI-powered search.
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