Google won’t develop AI for use in weapons: Pichai
Washington Google would not be developing artificial intelligence for use in weapons, its CEO Sundar Pichai has said, after facing a backlash over the technology giant’s involvement in a Pentagon project.
Google recently announced it would discontinue work with the department of defence on Project Maven, an artificial intelligence project that analyses imagery and could be used to enhance the efficiency of drone strikes. Following this, thousands of employees had signed onto a letter warning that Google’s participation contravened the company’s ethical tenets.
Stating that “Google should not be in the business of war”, the letter warned that the company’s involvement would compromise its image and drive away potential employees, The Independent reported.
The Indian-origin CEO also said the company would not design or deploy AI in areas including weapons or other technologies whose principal purpose or implementation is to cause or directly facilitate injury to people.
He said Google will not develop technologies that gather or use information for surveillance violating internationally accepted norms and technologies whose purpose contravenes widely accepted principles of international law and human rights.
“We want to be clear that while we are not developing AI for use in weapons, we will continue our work with governments and the military in many other areas,” Pichai said in a blogpost.
“These include cybersecurity, training, military recruitment, veterans’ healthcare, and search and rescue. These collaborations are important and we’ll actively look for more ways to augment the critical work of these organizations and keep service members and civilians safe,” he said.
AIRBUS SAID TO BE FRONT-RUNNER FOR $6.6 BN VISTARA ORDER
Airbus SE is favoured to pull in an order from Singapore Airlines Ltd affiliate Vistara for as many as 60 new-engine singleaisle airliners to gain a stronger foothold in the booming Indian market, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The airline is leaning toward buying the A320neo jets after a contest with Boeing Co.’s 737 Max model, according to the people who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The carrier will make an announcement soon, one of the officials said.
BIGBASKET TO SOON START SELLING FRESH MEAT AND COSMETICS
India’s largest online grocer BigBasket, which raised $300 million from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd earlier this year, will soon start selling branded beauty products and fresh meat on its platform, challenging established brands such as online beauty and cosmetics start-up Nykaa and gourmet meat startups Licious and Zappfresh. In an interview with Mint, BigBasket co-founder and CEO Hari Menon said the grocery start-up will launch a new private label for beauty products to enter the category. “We are adding a new private label under the new category of beauty products. We are going to have a lot of private-label play there,” said Menon. “We will not just have a private label (for beauty), but also normal labels, imported stuff, etc. Basically a new set of categories that you will see in beauty.”
ROYAL ENFIELD PLANS TO ROLL OUT ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES
The trademark thump of a Royal Enfield motorcycle may soon give way to the silent humming of an electric motor. The maker of the Classic 350 motorcycle, owned by Siddhartha Lalheaded Eicher Motors Ltd, is developing an electric vehicle platform to remain relevant for a cleaner future, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
“We are working on an electrical platform to advance the idea of pure motorcycling,” said Rudratej Singh, president, Royal Enfield. A “very small team” is working on the development at the company’s UK technology centre, Singh said.