Google on Tuesday updated its principles when it comes to artificial intelligence, removing vows not to use the technology for weapons or surveillance. Revised AI principles were posted just weeks after Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and other tech titans attended the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. When asked about the change, a Google spokesperson referred to a blog post outlining the company's AI principles that made no mention of the promises, which Pichai first outlined in 2018.

Google has pledged to no longer build AIs for the fossil fuel industry as it further distances itself from controversial developments. A report from Greenpeace earlier this month exposed Google as being one of the top three developers of AI tools for the fossil fuel industry. Greenpeace found AI technologies boost production levels by as much as five percent. In an interview with CUBE's John Furrier, the leader of Google's CTO office, Will Grannis, said that Google will "no longer develop artificial intelligence (AI) software and tools for oil and gas drilling operations." The pledge from Google Cloud is welcome, but it must be taken in a wider context.

Google will give away 100,000 of its smart home device to those living with paralysis according to a blog post. The company announced that it will be sending its Google Home mini to people with physical disabilities in an effort to help improve their lives at home. According to Garrison Redd, an ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, who has been unable to walk for the past 20 years, the devices can make a huge difference for someone who relies on a wheelchair to move. 'When you're paralyzed, your home goes from being a place of comfort and security to a reminder of what you've lost,' wrote Redd in a blog post for Google. 'Light switches and thermostats are usually too high up on the wall and, if my phone falls on the floor, I may not be able to call a friend or family member if I need help.

It seems the enterprise is taking a serious interest in how the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) can provide a return on investment (ROI), as the number of companies implementing these technologies has grown by 270 percent in the past four years. On Monday, Gartner said that AI adoption has tripled in the last year alone, with an estimated 37 percent of firms now implementing AI in some form. According to the research agency's 2019 CIO Survey, AI is being used in a variety of applications. See also: GE is piloting'humble AI' to introduce business risk to algorithms AI in this context does not relate to the development of'true,' self-aware artificial intelligence. Rather, it can be considered an umbrella term for a range of applications including image recognition, natural language processing, cognitive computing, automatic Big Data analysis, and machine learning (ML), among other technologies.

Today, Google shared information about some of the AI work it's doing in Asia, but in a blog post about the work, it also made a pretty clear statement about how its facial recognition technology will and won't be used for the time being. The company noted that while facial recognition systems stand to be quite useful in a variety of situations, from assistive technologies to locating missing people, they also comes with risks. "Like many technologies with multiple uses, facial recognition merits careful consideration to ensure its use is aligned with our principles and values, and avoids abuse and harmful outcomes," Google said. "We continue to work with many organizations to identify and address these challenges, and unlike some other companies, Google Cloud has chosen not to offer general-purpose facial recognition APIs before working through important technology and policy questions." Facial recognition technology has come under the spotlight in recent years, with everyone from local law enforcement to Taylor Swift employing it in some way.

Google has pledged $25 million to launch projects that apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to find solutions for various societal problems. Google said the grant will be used to fund the "AI Impact Challenge" contest, which is part of its "AI for Social Good" programme dedicated to "addressing some of society's biggest unsolved challenges". "We'll help selected organisations bring their proposals to life with coaching from Google's AI experts, Google.org Grantees will also join a specialised "Launchpad Accelerator" programme. The California-based tech giant is making a "global call for non-profits, academics, and social enterprises from around the world to submit proposals on how they could use AI to help address some of the world's greatest social, humanitarian and environmental problems."

Google isn't just backing away from its military AI contract, it's promising to use that computational power for more positive purposes. The company has launched an AI for Social Good program that will unify engineering and research efforts dedicated toward noble causes, such as conserving wildlife, finding jobs, predicting floods and anticipating health risks. The effort will tap experts outside of Google for help, but that's not the only approach -- it's calling for ideas from non-experts, too. The company is ramping up a AI Impact Challenge that asks academia, non-profits and other organizations (whether they're AI-savvy or not) to submit proposals using AI to solve "social, humanitarian and environmental" problems. Any proposal that makes the cut will receive funding from a $25 million pool, join an accelerator program and receive consulting as well as custom support with the help of the data science non-profit DataKind.

Google's artificial intelligence chief Jeff Dean speaks at an event Monday. Google says it wants to help people do positive things with artificial intelligence. The search giant on Monday announced a new challenge for nonprofits, universities and other organizations working on AI projects that will benefit society. The contest is called the AI Global Impact Challenge, and the company has pledged $25 million in grants. The challenge is part of a new Google initiative called "AI for Social Good."

The firm was working on the controversial Project Maven program - an artificial intelligence (AI) project that analyses imagery and could be used to enhance the efficiency of drone strikes. Google pledges to not work on weapons after Project Maven backlash Google'ditches contract with US military' after employee revolt Google collected personal data about iPhone users, High Court hears Google quietly removes'don't be evil' preface from code of conduct Google'ditches contract with US military' after employee revolt Google quietly removes'don't be evil' preface from code of conduct This week the tech giant's chief executive Sundar Pichai responded by unveiling his company's "concrete standards" surrounding AI. However, some have suggested that the AI Principles, appear more porous than Mr Pichai's language would seem to suggest. Mr Pichai begins by prefacing the seven-point list of "objectives for AI applications" by saying it is by no means fixed or solid. "We acknowledge that this area is dynamic and evolving," he says, adding that whatever principles are included are subject to change due to the company's "willingness to adapt" its approach.

Before we get worried about the possibility of a robot uprising, we probably have to worry about our jobs first. Since machines could take millions of jobs the next few years, Google has launched a new initiative to help people in the US and around the globe learn new skills they can use to start a new career or to grow their business. Company chief Sundar Pichai has announced the project called "Grow with Google" at an event in Pittsburgh. He said that the tech titan understands "uncertainty and even concern about the pace of technological change" but that it believes "that technology will be an engine of America's growth for years to come." The Grow with Google website houses several programs both teachers and students (of any age) can use.