Google removes AI weapons ban from its ethical principles, sparking debate over Silicon Valley's approach to AI safety and raising concerns about responsible technology development in the military and surveillance sectors.

Google has removed a pledge from its artificial intelligence (AI) principles that had said the company would not use the technology to develop weapons. The technology giant has rewritten the principles that guide its development and use of AI – which are published online – but a section pledging not to develop tech “that cause or are likely to