Google drops pledge not to use AI for weapons or surveillance

I initially thought that this was an announcement for a new pledge and thought, "they're going to forget about this the moment it's convenient." Then I read the article and realized, "Oh, it's already convenient."

Google is a megacorp, and while megacorps aren't fundamentally "evil" (for some definitions of evil), they are fundamentally unconcerned with goodness or morality, and any appearance that they are is purely a marketing exercise.

What is Googs going to do, leave money on the table?

And if Googs doesn't do it, someone else will, so it might as well be them that makes money for their shareholders. Technically, couldn't activist shareholders come together and claim by not going after this market the leadership should be replaced for those that would? After all, share prices is the only metric that matters

So "if I don't steal it someone else will"? I'd rate that as evil.

Maybe it's more like "If I don't do this job, someone else will"...

This is the big issue that came along when stable households (mom/dad taking care of you) were replaced by fentanyl and TikTok.

Moral character is something that has to be taught, it doesn't just come out on its own.

If your parents don't do it properly, you'll be just another cog in the soulless machine to which human life is of no value.

The real issue is that corporate incentives don't prioritize morality

Corporations are run by people, who are not amoral.