Google DeepMind Has Change Of Heart: AI Principles No Longer Include Promise Not To 'Cause Harm'

Google previously had strict guidelines when it came to artificial intelligence.

The Mountain View, California-based company, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. GOOGGOOGL, once pledged not to use the burgeoning tech field for harm.

Not anymore.

What Happened: Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Senior Vice President James Manyika co-authored a blog post that included an updated list of so-called “AI Principles.” (DeepMind is an artificial intelligence research laboratory.)

The original list, published in 2018, included applications that the company pledged not to “pursue.” That included weapons, surveillance and technologies that "cause or are likely to cause overall harm."

Google tweaked those ethical guidelines as of today.

“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,” the executives wrote. “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.”

See Also: ‘Let's Open Source Nuclear Weapons': Godfather Of AI Mocks Attempts To Trivialize Risks Of AI

Why It Matters: Big tech is currently in an AI arms race.

The debut of Hangzhou, China-based DeepSeek sent the share prices of U.S.-based tech companies plummeting. And that was just days after President Donald Trump boasted of a $500 billion “StarGate” project with OpenAI.

AI’s foremost innovators are at odds over whether there should be a pause in AI development. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP expects government regulation in this sector to be light.

Meanwhile, Alphabet is profiting off of AI big time, according to its fourth-quarter earnings. Total revenue, $96.5 billion, is up 12% year-over-year. CEO Sundar Pichai credited the stellar financial results to the company’s AI innovations.

"We are building, testing and launching products and models faster than ever, and making significant progress in compute and driving efficiencies," Pichai said.

“Our results show the power of our differentiated full-stack approach to AI innovation and the continued strength of our core business,” he added. Alphabet expects to have capital expenditures of $75 billion in 2025.

GOOG Price Action: Alphabet stock closed Tuesday up 2.50% at $207.71 per share. After-hours trading sees the stock down 7.33% at $192.60.

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