Chicago, Feb 5 (UNI) Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has amended its AI principles, veering course from its previous commitment to abstain from developing artificial intelligence for military and surveillance purposes, media reports said.

The firm has recast the principles guiding its use of AI, deleting a section which forbade uses that were "likely to cause harm".

In a blog post, James Manyika, Google's Senior Vice President and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, justified the change, arguing that AI should be developed in collaboration with democratic government that "supports national security" while maintaining ethical standards, according to BBC.

The blog said the company's original AI principles published in 2018 needed to be updated as the technology had evolved.

"Billions of people are using AI in their everyday lives. AI has become a general-purpose technology, and a platform which countless organisations and individuals use to build applications.

"It has moved from a niche research topic in the lab to a technology that is becoming as pervasive as mobile phones and the internet itself," the blog post said.

The company has urged democratic nations to ensure value-based AI advancements, by underscoring the importance offreedom, equality and human rights. "We believe democracies should lead in AI development, guided by core values like freedom, equality and respect for human rights," the blog post said.

"And we believe that companies, governments and organisations sharing these values should work together to create AI that protects people, promotes global growth and supports national security."

The company is investing in the infrastructure to run AI, AI research, and applications such as AI-powered search.

Google's AI platform Gemini now appears at the top of Google search results, offering an AI written summary, and pops up on Google Pixel phones. UNI XC SSP