Google scraps artificial intelligence ‘ethics board’ days after it was formed
- Online group complained about views of the boards members and whether it could be influenced by the defence industry
Google on Thursday confirmed it disbanded a recently assembled artificial intelligence ethics advisory panel due to controversy over its membership.
The end of the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) came just days after a group of Google employees launched a public campaign against having the president of conservative think tank Heritage Foundation among its members.
Another member of the board had already resigned and the inclusion of a drone company executive rekindled concerns about potential military uses of artificial intelligence, according to Vox news website, which first reported the council being disbanded.
“It’s become clear that in the current environment, ATEAC can’t function as we wanted,” Google said. “So we’re ending the council and going back to the drawing board.”
The company said it would seek alternative ways to gather outside input regarding responsible use of artificial intelligence.