In a notable shift, Andrew Ng, the founder and former leader of Google Brain, expressed support for Google's recent decision to withdraw its pledge against developing AI systems for weaponry. The tech giant quietly removed a seven-year-old promise from its AI principles webpage, which had previously assured that the company would not design AI for weapons or surveillance. This pledge originated in 2018, following employee protests over Google's involvement with the U.S. military through Project Maven. Ng argues that the key to ensuring American AI safety lies in competing technologically with China.
Andrew Ng has been vocal about his concerns regarding open-source AI development in the United States. He previously criticized initiatives such as Project Maven and Project Nimbus, claiming they could potentially hinder progress. Notably, Project Nimbus saw Google and Amazon providing cloud computing services to the Israeli Defense Force. Both companies faced internal backlash, with employee sit-ins staged last year in protest of these contracts.
Jeff Dean, a respected Google executive, had earlier voiced opposition to the use of machine-learning in autonomous weaponry by signing a letter underscoring the potential dangers. Meanwhile, Meredith Whittaker, who led the Maven protests during her tenure as an AI researcher at Google, expressed satisfaction when Google opted not to renew its Project Maven contracts. Whittaker asserted that Google should not align itself with warfare endeavors.
The discourse surrounding AI and weaponry extends beyond corporate boundaries. Geoffrey Hinton, a former Google AI researcher and Nobel laureate, has advocated for global regulations on the use of AI in weapons. This stance comes amid reports of increasing interest from militaries worldwide, including the Pentagon, in leveraging AI technologies. The Department of Defense's chief AI officer highlighted this growing appetite in an interview with TechCrunch.
Ng expressed gratitude for the discontinuation of two significant AI regulatory efforts: California's vetoed SB 1047 bill and President Biden's overturned AI executive order. These developments, according to Ng, contribute to an environment conducive to technological advancement and competition.
In a blog post published by Google, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis emphasized the importance of collaboration between companies and governments to develop AI systems that bolster national security. This sentiment aligns with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt's current endeavors. Schmidt actively lobbies Washington D.C., advocating for the purchase of AI drones to enhance competitiveness with China. His company, White Stork, may potentially supply these drones in the future.
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