Planning to launch it by the end of this year, the tech giant will, according to the report, sell its AI ethical services to businesses working on AI ventures. News announced that Google is preparing to provide its services to identify racial disparity in computer vision applications and other AI ventures. Indeed, Google’s cloud division has recently trained more than 5,000 of its customer-oriented staff to recognize possible ethics problems for businesses. Such programs underscore Google’s attempts to encourage responsible AI as a service.
Matthew Rosenquist, computer security specialist and Eclipz’s CISO, said in a blog post about the importance of ethics in the management of private and sensitive data of companies. With Google possessing a flawed track record, it has not yet “won the confidence, to be honest” enough to offer such ethical services. Indeed, in addition to its biased AI programs, Google has recently introduced measures on diversity to escape conservative backlashes. Alongside another move, the organization also censored its edition of China, banning search words such as liberty, equality, freedom, religion, etc. These moves not only disagree with its central mission of working for the greater good, but also reinforce the company’s growing commitment to fostering responsible AI. Having said that, amid the disagreements, Google was the first organization to emphasize ethical standards for AI. Hence, the announcement of Ethics-as-a-Service may be their opportunity to concentrate on making this right.
Although engulfed in the debate, Google’s ethical offerings would also help companies focused on creating AI solutions. Not only does it help them develop proactive AI programs, but it will also provide ethical advice on their current AI, improving the industry as a whole. Even, with Google taking on the burden of AI firms, it offers a lot of cushions when taking the trouble out of flawed behavior. In addition, it will also allow Google to regain its position in the cloud market.
Considering that Google has a legacy of unethical AI activities, delivering AI ethics as a tool can be a nightmare for the industry. However, this may be an opportunity for the organization to restore its confidence in the ethical sector and to strengthen its place in the AI culture.
