Google modifies its ethical guidelines on AI, eliminating the prohibition of weapons and surveillance

Google has updated its ethical guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI), eliminating its previous commitment not to apply this technology in applications related to arms or surveillance that violate international norms or human rights.

The previous version of the guidelines, available until last week and still accessible on the Internet Archive, included a clause that prohibited the use of AI in «technologies that cause or are likely to cause general damage», including weapons, in line with International Human Rights Principles.

The changes and the new vision of the company about its principles of AI were explained on Tuesday in a joint blog post for Google’s head, Demis Hassabis, and the senior vice president of technology and company society, James Manyika.

In the document, Google declares that «democracies should lead the development of AI, guided by fundamental values ​​such as freedom, equality and respect for human rights.» They add that they believe that «companies, governments and organizations that share these values ​​should work together to create an AI that protects people, promotes global growth and supports national security.»

The update includes provisions such as the resource of human control and the collaboration of users to ensure that technology is used in accordance with the «widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.»