Google revises its AI ethics guidelines, ending its ban on weapons and surveillance. The policy shift ignites debate over national security and tech responsibility.

Google has quietly deleted its pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance, a promise that had been in place since 2018.

Google’s updated, public AI ethics policy removes its promise that it won’t use the technology to pursue applications for weapons and surveillance. In a previous version of the principles seen by CNN on the internet archive Wayback Machine,

Google's latest update of its ethical AI guidelines included omitting previous commitments against using technology for weapons and surveillance.

In 2018, Google laid out a list of policies regarding its AI business that included safe and neutral use of the technology in its various applications. This week, Google has seemingly rolled back key policies regarding the use of its AI technology in weapons, surveillance, and other applications that would be “likely to cause overall harm.”

The policy shift emerged when two senior figures, James Manyika (Google-Alphabet’s senior vice-president) and Sir Demis Hassabis (chief executive of Google DeepMind), co-authored a blog post confirming the technology giant’s commitment to “support national security” in an increasingly tense geopolitical race for AI leadership.