Google has signed a classified deal that allows the US Department of Defense to use its AI models for “any lawful government purpose,” The Information reports. The agreement was reported less than a day after Google employees demanded CEO Sundar Pichai block the Pentagon from using its AI amid concerns that it would be used in “inhumane or extremely harmful ways.”
Citing a single anonymous source “with knowledge of the situation,” The Information reports that the deal states that both parties have agreed that the search giant’s AI systems shouldn’t be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weapons “without appropriate human oversight and control.” But the contract also says it doesn’t give Google “any right to control or veto lawful government operational decision-making,” which would suggest the agreed restrictions are more of a pinky promise than legally binding obligations.
In a statement to Reuters, a Google spokesperson said the company upholds the opinion that AI should not be used for domestic mass surveillance or autonomous weaponry without appropriate human oversight. “We believe that providing API access to our commercial models, including on Google infrastructure, with industry-standard practices and terms, represents a responsible approach to supporting national security,” Google told the outlet.
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