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March 10, 2026

America February 6, 2025

Don’t Be Evil? Google’s AI Policy Shift Causes Controversy

America ı By Jackie Allen

824 0 Comments

Google, once known for its famous motto “Don’t be evil,” has quietly revised its corporate rules. The removal of past commitments that restricted the development of artificial intelligence for military applications seems to some to be a quiet abandonment of AI ethics. According to Wayback Machine archives, between January 30 and February 4, the tech giant updated its AI Principles webpage. The revisions erased previous pledges that aimed to prevent Google’s AI from being used in warfare or unlawful surveillance. These promises had been in place since 2018, when CEO Sundar Pichai introduced a list of ethical guidelines to govern the company’s AI projects. https://usaherald.com/allegations-of-assault-legal-action-against-neil-gaiman-and-amanda-palmer/

Don't Be Evil: What Changed?

Before the update, Google’s AI policy explicitly stated that it “will not design or deploy AI in the following application areas.” These included “technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm” and “weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.” A small disclaimer beneath the list indicated that these guidelines might evolve. Now, these restrictions have vanished. The revised AI Principles emphasize the company’s commitment to “responsible” AI development and adherence to “widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.” However, the once-clear prohibitions on military use have been removed.

Google Executives Defend the Shift

A blog post by Google Senior Vice President James Manyika and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis attempted to justify the policy changes. While the executives did not directly address the removal of the military-use restrictions, they cited AI’s rapid development and its widespread impact on society as reasons for updating Google’s policies. They wrote, “We believe democracies should lead AI’s development, guided by core values like freedom, equality, and respect for human rights.” The closest they came to mentioning military applications was in the following statement: “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.”

Unanswered Questions 

Google has not clarified how these policy changes will influence its actions going forward. The company declined to respond to inquiries from SFGATE regarding the updates. The shift also comes amid broader changes within Google, including a Wall Street Journal report stating that the company is dropping diversity hiring targets and removing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion from its parent company Alphabet’s annual report.

Controversial Contracts

For years, worker activists have accused Google of indirectly contributing to military operations through its “Nimbus” cloud-computing contract with the Israeli government. Although Google has maintained that Nimbus is not designed for military use, reports have raised concerns about its role in conflict.
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Jackie Allen
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Jackie Allen

Jackie is a freelance journalist and technology geek. She worked as a telecom project director for AT&T and BellSouth. Before joining the USA Herald she has written books, articles, blogs and whitepapers. Her clients include Samsung and other technology companies.

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