Google Removes Bans on AI for Weapons and Surveillance in Major Policy Shift
- Google has updated its AI principles, removing its commitment to not develop AI for weapons and surveillance, as stated by James Manyika and Demis Hassabis in a blog post on February 4, 2025.
- The company's new principles include commitments to human oversight and alignment with international law, despite previous pledges against harmful applications.
- Margaret Mitchell expressed concern that this change erases important ethical work and suggests Google may develop lethal technologies.
- Human rights advocate Sarah Leah Whitson criticized Google, calling it a 'corporate war machine' following the removal of ethical AI commitments.
196 Articles
196 Articles
Google retracts promise not to use AI for weapons or surveillance — prompting employee backlash: ‘Are we the baddies?’
Google employees are reportedly up in arms over management's decision to walk back a promise not to use AI for weaponry and surveillance tools.


Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons
The technology giant has rewritten the principles that guide its development and use of AI but a section pledging not to develop tech “that cause or are likely to cause harm” has now been removed
Google reverses pledge to not use AI for weapons or surveillance
Google updated its public AI ethics policy. The decision reverses the company's promise that it won’t use the technology to pursue applications for weapons and surveillance. Google is defending the change, saying it now has a better "understanding of AI's potential and risks." Some are criticizing the decision with one Google employee saying "the company should not be in the business of war." Full Story In a sharp reversal from its original prin…
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