The Debate Over AI & Ethics

Issue 72

In 2014 Google purchased the start-up company known as DeepMind, known for its leading research, development, and discussions on the ethics associated with artificial intelligence.  Since then, DeepMind has been seeking increased autonomy from the parent company of Google, as they believe the sensitive research that the company does “shouldn’t be controlled by a single corporate entity.”
Talks between Google and DeepMind in regard to autonomy have recently ended as google has invested billions of dollars into the research of artificial intelligence.  DeepMind has been seeking to develop a legal structure similar to that of a non-profit, which would make the $500 million spent by Google to purchase DeepMind completely obsolete.
Google has agreed to discuss the ethics of AI, however, the ethics board that has been assigned to do so is dominated by Google executives.  Google’s vice President Marian Croak has expressed Google’s desire to AI ethics work as she stated that Google has spent, “many years of deep investigation around responsible AI,” and that she hopes the teams of Google and DeepMind can come together to further the research.

Source: Wall Street Journal