Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons, surveillance
Al Jazeera
Google blog post "Responsible AI: Our 2024 report and ongoing work", co-authored with James Manyika
“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. And we believe that companies, governments, and organizations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth, and supports national security.”
Demis Hassabis4 February 2025- What you'll lose2/5
A pledge not to build AI for weapons and surveillance, retired.
- Condescension0/5
Polite prose.
- Tone-deafness2/5
Announced in a post about 'core values'.
- Doom1/5
National security, now in scope.
- Hypocrisy4/5
In 2015 he said DeepMind's sale terms barred military and surveillance use.
Full time9 pitchforksof a possible 25
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The occasion
Google blog post "Responsible AI: Our 2024 report and ongoing work", co-authored with James Manyika, 4 February 2025.
Context
The post, bylined by James Manyika and Demis Hassabis, announced updated AI Principles that no longer listed weapons and surveillance among applications Google would not pursue. It is a co-authored written statement, not a spoken quote. Press reports note that Hassabis had said in 2015 that DeepMind's acquisition terms barred military and surveillance use.
Crowd reaction
Critical commentary
Human Rights Watch called Google's "pivot from refusing to build AI for weapons to stating an intent to create AI that supports national security ventures" "stark" and said it "appears destined to result in a race to the bottom"; Data Center Dynamics wrote that the change "creates a loophole that allows overt military applications" and recalled Hassabis's 2015 statement that DeepMind tech would never be used for military or surveillance purposes. Al Jazeera recalled the 2018 employee protests over Project Maven.
- Primary source, blog
- Al Jazeera: Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons, surveillance
- Fortune (AFP): Google axes its promise not to use AI for weapons or surveillance just weeks into the Trump presidency
- Human Rights Watch: Google Announces Willingness to Develop AI for Weapons
- Data Center Dynamics: Google ditches promise not to develop AI weapons
- Where the exact words are printed