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AI at Google: our principles

blog.google

41–50 of 418 posts

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#41
>4. Be accountable to people. >We will design AI systems that provide appropriate opportunities for feedback, relevant explanations, and appeal. Our AI technologies will be subject to appropriate human direction and control.

Youtube moderation and automated account banning combined with the inability to actually get in contact with a human show they they have a long way to go with this principle.

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#42
post #4

The best way to lead is by example. Thank you, Googlers. The choice not to accept business is a hard one. I've recently turned away from precision-metrology work where I couldn't be certain of its intent; in every other way, it was precisely the sort of work I'd like to do, and the compensation was likely to be good. These stated principles are very much in line with those that I've chosen; a technology's primary pur…

That's a pity - as someone in stereo machine vision, metrology is something we really really need for a huge range of applications - that said, if its feeding an autonomous armed targeting system, I agree. We really need to decide as a species we want to continue being a species and realize that solving problems with each other by force is coming to an end. I'm not speaking from a pacifist viewpoint, just a practical one - there's pretty much no way we're not going to continue evolving vision systems in all their hyperspectral glory, and they can do a lot of good - we just cannot arm them. Ever. And surveillance is a complex question - there are enough positives it can offer not to rule it out a priori

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#44
post #36

But how? Let's assume I personally offer artificial intelligence services. So I provide some API's where my customers upload training and testing data, and I return a trained ML model. I do not know who uses my service or what they are doing... Furthermore, if ban the military. Then another company could do it for them. So every customer would have to explain their activities?

FTA:

> As we develop and deploy AI technologies, we will evaluate likely uses in light of the following factors: [...] Nature and uniqueness: whether we are making available technology that is unique or more generally available

Presumably this means they would allow the US military to use their cloud services like any other customer. This is almost certain not to happen because of the classified nature of their data.

Also, this is meant to guide how Google decides what to develop, not (AFAICT) meant as a terms of service for customers. Though I bet Google still reserves the right to block accounts it decides are using its platform in a way they think is immoral.

Disclaimer: I work for Google.

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#45
post #12

I do not know, really... if not them, someone else will do however. Google has a competitive advantage (they can hire & pay well the smartest minds on Earth) and is letting it go? EDIT: going to be even more controversial but needs to be said that Google just can’t stay neutral here imho, they either work for autonomus killing machines or against them in order to preserve their market position and brand

If I don't build these gas chambers, somebody else will, so i might as well pocket the money.

You don't see a problem with that position?

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#46
post #6

> AI applications we will not pursue [...] Technologies that cause or are likely to cause overall harm. [...] Weapons or other technologies This statement will have zero impact on subsequent sensational headlines or posters here claiming Google is making killbots.

In the name of national security Google may or even have to lie.

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#47
post #4

The best way to lead is by example. Thank you, Googlers. The choice not to accept business is a hard one. I've recently turned away from precision-metrology work where I couldn't be certain of its intent; in every other way, it was precisely the sort of work I'd like to do, and the compensation was likely to be good. These stated principles are very much in line with those that I've chosen; a technology's primary pur…

Turning away will slow things down but AI for military applications will happen. Someone will fill the void.

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#48
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, now you are talking about philosophical questions. - Is pursuing an AI that kills 10 bad guys but saves 20 good ones overall bad? - Is pursuing an AI that doesn't kill anyone but pushes us to watch ads and lose our life on youtube overall bad?

> - Is pursuing an AI that kills 10 bad guys but saves 20 good ones overall bad? - Yes. If your philosophical development is to the point where there are clearly defined good guys and bad guys in your mind I suggest you read more.

[deleted]

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#49
post #47
post #4

The best way to lead is by example. Thank you, Googlers. The choice not to accept business is a hard one. I've recently turned away from precision-metrology work where I couldn't be certain of its intent; in every other way, it was precisely the sort of work I'd like to do, and the compensation was likely to be good. These stated principles are very much in line with those that I've chosen; a technology's primary pur…

Turning away will slow things down but AI for military applications will happen. Someone will fill the void.

That doesn't make it ok to be the one to fill it.

Re: AI at Google: our principles

#50
post #15

“Hey Google, give me three concrete examples of fair bias.”

Bias has a very broad meaning in AI work. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias-variance_tradeoff

Most AI/ML/Statistics procedures use Occam's razor: prefer the simplest explanation of the data. That's a bias (toward simpler explanations), but not "unfair" to anyone.

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