How Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” Motto has Evolved for the AI Age

Google’s famous motto Don’t Be Evil has been a guiding principle for the company since its early years. However, as technology and society have evolved, so has Google’s approach to ethical consideration in the Artificial Intelligence age. 

Below, we’ll delve into how Google’s Don’t Be Evil motto has evolved for the AI age. 

Most Profound Technology

According to Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai, he always thought of Artificial Intelligence as the most profound technology, humanity is working on. Yes, more profound than electricity, fire, or anything we have worked in the past. 

To a correspondent of 60 Minutes, Scott Pelley, Pichai gave rare access to the inner workings of Google AI’s development. It includes robots with acquired skills through machine learning and Project Starline. 

Project Starline is an AI video conferencing experience that allows people to feel as though they are together, despite being in different locations.

However, one of the most anticipated and noteworthy forays of Google is its chatbot, Bard. Currently, the company calls it an experiment to do more internal testing. However, when Google debuted Bard in February, the program notably made a mistake. 

It did not look for answers online, instead relying on a self-contained program. Later, the company decided to launch an advanced version of the program that could write software and connect to the internet. 

What Intelligence is and What Humanity is

Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, told Pelley that Artificial Intelligence gets the essence of what intelligence and humanity are. In 2004, Google filed for its initial public offering. 

At that time, its founders wrote that the company’s guiding principle, Don’t Be Evil, was meant to ensure it did good things for the world. It remains in the code of conduct for Google. 

In April, Pichai said the company was being responsible by not releasing the advanced version of Bard. It would result in getting acclimated to the technology so that Google could develop safety layers. 

However, the Google ChatBot was built in safety filters to fight the threat of evil users. The company needs to keep updating the algorithm to combat the disinformation campaigns and detect AI deepfakes, also known as computer-generated images. 

Government Should Show their Involvement

Pichai believed that now is the time for the Government to get involved. He said there need to be regulations, and there have to be consequences for creating deep fake photos and videos which cause harm to society. 

If you have worked with Artificial Intelligence for a while, you must realize that there is something so deep and different that needs societal regulations to think about how to adapt. 

Pichai believed that the adaptation already happening around us with the technology would be more capable. A time would come in the future in which society itself would decide how it’s used and whether to abide by the Alphabet’s code of conduct, Do The Right Thing.