An open letter to the President & U.S. Congress; State Governors & Legislatures
Google must recommit to ethical AI, no weapons or surveillance
11 so far! Help us get to 25 signers!
Google's decision to remove its commitment not to use AI for weapons or surveillance purposes is deeply concerning and a step backwards for ethical AI development. Artificial intelligence technologies have immense potential for benefiting humanity, but they also carry grave risks if misused or exploited, particularly in the realms of warfare and mass surveillance which raise alarming human rights implications. As a leader in AI, Google has a profound responsibility to society to advance this transformative technology in a manner that prioritizes human wellbeing and upholds fundamental rights and freedoms. Deploying AI for weapons systems or unchecked surveillance would be a betrayal of Google's stated principles and an abuse of public trust. Such applications could enable oppressive regimes to monitor and control their populations, escalate conflicts with autonomous weapons lacking human judgment, and further destabilize an already precarious global security environment. We must learn from history's tragic lessons about the catastrophic consequences that can arise from the unfettered spread of dual-use technologies. Google should reinstate and reaffirm its original ethical guardrails against AI being weaponized or exploited for mass surveillance that violates international human rights norms. As an AI superpower, Google is positioned to shape the future trajectory of this technology for good or ill. I urge you to lead responsibly by example and recommit to developing AI strictly for peaceful, rights-respecting purposes that improve lives rather than endangering or oppressing them. The moral integrity of Google's AI agenda is at stake.