Africa News 24 Pretoria Bureau
PRETORIA, South Africa – Google is facing a backlash over its shift in artificial intelligence (AI) policy after a surprising reversal of its longstanding stance on AI ethics.
This comes after Google announced its willingness to develop AI technologies for military applications. The move, unveiled at the recent Made By Google event in Mountain View, California, marks a departure from the company’s once-firm commitment to ethical AI principles.
Since 2018, Google had maintained a set of Responsible AI Principles that explicitly prohibit the development of AI for use in weapons or for surveillance purposes deemed intrusive. These guidelines were part of Google’s broader pledge to avoid designing or deploying AI that could cause harm or violate international human rights standards.
However, the updated AI policy, revealed in February 2025, no longer includes these prohibitions. Instead, Google now states that its AI products will “align with” human rights without specifying operational details. This shift has sparked widespread concern among tech experts and human rights advocates, who argue that the use of AI in military contexts poses significant ethical dilemmas and risks.
Anna Bacciarelli, Senior Researcher at Technology, Rights & Investigations, commented on the implications of Google’s policy shift, indicating the potential consequences of AI-powered military applications on global security and human rights. She highlighted the increasing reliance of militaries on AI technologies, which, due to their reliance on incomplete data and flawed algorithms, could exacerbate risks to civilian populations during armed conflicts.
The move by the company underscores broader debates surrounding the regulation of AI technologies. Critics argue that voluntary guidelines, like those previously upheld by Google, are insufficient substitutes for enforceable laws and regulations that could ensure accountability and adherence to international human rights norms.
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While Google executives have stressed their commitment to values such as freedom and equality in AI development, the company’s revised stance has raised concerns about the prioritisation of commercial interests over ethical considerations. This shift, critics argue, could contribute to a global “race to the bottom” in AI ethics, where companies prioritise competitive advantage over responsible innovation.
In response to these developments, advocacy groups and experts are calling for stricter regulatory frameworks that compel tech companies to uphold human rights standards across all AI applications, particularly in sensitive areas like military technology.
