Wed, 05 Feb 2025

Google drops pledge on AI use for weapons

The tech giant has updated the principles governing its development of artificial intelligence.

* Alphabet has revised its AI principles, dropping a section that ruled out uses "likely to cause harm".
* Google's senior vice president James Manyika and Demis Hassabis argue that businesses and governments should work together on AI for national security.
* The move has sparked debate among AI experts over how the technology should be governed.
* Alphabet will spend $75bn on AI projects this year, 29% more than expected.
* Google's AI platform Gemini now appears at the top of search results, offering an AI-written summary.
* The company's founders originally said their motto was "don't be evil", but have since changed it to "do the right thing".
* Some employees have pushed back against executives' approach to AI, citing concerns over lethal purposes.
* A Chinese startup has built a low-cost AI model using less technologically advanced chips, raising concerns among governments.
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