Chinese Military: Google's Removal of the "AI Weapons Ban" Is an Extremely Dangerous Signal

Google made a major revision to its AI principles on Tuesday, announcing the removal of its previous ban on developing weapons and surveillance tools.

In 2018, Google established a strict set of AI principles in response to external criticism of its involvement in military projects. These principles explicitly stated that Google would not design or deploy AI weapons or technologies intended to cause or directly facilitate harm to people, nor would it develop surveillance tools that violate internationally recognized norms.

The following day after Google’s move, the official WeChat account of the People's Liberation Army, "Junzhengping Studio,"(钧正平工作室) published a brief but strongly worded critique, warning that Google's move "could pose immeasurable risks to the world" and cautioning the U.S. against "opening Pandora’s box and becoming a culprit endangering the world."

On Monday, China's antitrust authorities announced the launch of an antitrust review against Google. This is also the most recent regulatory action initiated by the Chinese government against this US tech giant.

Originally established by the PLA Daily, it primarily publishes commentary articles on national defense, military affairs, national security, and international relations, serving as an important voice for the PLA in the online public discourse. The account's name derives from "钧" (jūn), symbolizing the military, "正" (zhèng), representing justice, and "平" (píng), signifying stability—reflecting its mission to convey the official stance and voice of the Chinese military.

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Google's Removal of the "AI Weapons Ban" Is an Extremely Dangerous Signal

Recently, media reports revealed that Google has updated its AI ethics guidelines, removing the previous commitment not to use AI technology for weapon development and surveillance applications.

As a global tech giant, Google operates the world's largest search engine, digital maps, and mobile operating system while also possessing cutting-edge AI technology. A company with access to such vast data and advanced technology, whether intentionally or passively driven by ulterior motives, could pose immeasurable risks to the world.

Technological advancements should serve humanity, not destroy it. "Tech for good" must not be reduced to a mere slogan for self-promotion. While AI is profoundly transforming human society, its responsible use should be a global consensus.

The right direction for technological competition is to promote the common development and progress of all humankind. A word of advice to the relevant parties in the United States: do not, out of selfish interests or a desire for dominance, insist on opening Pandora's box—only to become the culprit endangering the world.