Google will give away $25 million to projects that propose ways to use AI to help create a more humane society. AP
Google will give away $25 million to projects that propose ways to use AI to help create a more humane society. AP

Google to give away $25 million to fund humane AI projects



Google will give away $25 million (Dh91.83m) to projects that propose ways to use the artificial intelligence of computers to help create a more humane society.

The grant programme announced on Monday is part of a broader Google initiative called "AI for Social Good" that aims to ease concerns that advances in AI will eliminate jobs and perhaps even be autonomously deployed by militaries to kill people.

Other technology companies have taken similar steps to address ethical issues in AI. For instance, Microsoft has committed $115m to an "AI for Good" initiative that provides grants to organisations harnessing AI for humanitarian, accessibility and environmental projects.

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During a presentation in Sunnyvale, California, Google demonstrated how its AI technology is already being used to diagnose diseases, help people with disabilities, predict areas likely to flood and protect endangered species.

Despite commitments like those being made by Google and Microsoft, the spectre of AI going horribly awry lingers.

Even as it pledges to do good things with AI, Microsoft is pursuing a massive US military contract that prompted an open letter earlier this month from a purported group of Microsoft employees worried the company might be betraying its own AI principles.

Microsoft reaffirmed its resolve to win the military contract in its own blog post last week, promising to address any ethical concerns that may arise if it ends up working on the project.

Google decided not to bid for the same military contract that Microsoft wants after some of its own employees protested. The company concluded the contract, potentially worth $10 billion, did not comply with its AI principles, which preclude the technology from being used to “cause or directly facilitate injury to people”.

The company’s AI For Social Good programme was already in the works before Google employees raised objections about the military contract, said Jeff Dean, a senior fellow overseeing AI.

Google’s non-profit arm will announce the winners of its AI grants next spring at an annual company conference.

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months