For those not aware, Google is rolling out their new AI-based "Generative AI" search, which seems to mesh Bard with the standard experience.
I asked it today why Google no longer follows their "don't be evil" motto... The results are pretty hilarious.
I asked Bard the same "don't be evil" prompt and this is the reply (they have an option to shorten the response but I didn't use it):
-Google's "Don't be evil" motto was removed from the company's code of conduct in April 2018. There are a few reasons why this may have happened.
-The meaning of "evil" became too ambiguous. The phrase "Don't be evil" is open to interpretation, and what one person might consider evil, another person might not. This ambiguity could have led to confusion and disagreement within the company about what the motto meant and how it should be applied.
-Google's business grew and its operations became more complex. As Google grew, its business became more complex and its operations had a wider impact on the world. This made it more difficult for the company to adhere to a simple motto like "Don't be evil."
-Google faced criticism for its business practices. In the years leading up to 2018, Google faced criticism for a number of its business practices, including its handling of user data, its involvement in the Chinese government's censorship program, and its work on developing autonomous weapons. This criticism may have led the company to believe that the "Don't be evil" motto was no longer an accurate reflection of its values.
It is important to note that Google has not completely abandoned the "Don't be evil" motto. The phrase is still included in the company's code of conduct, and it is still used by some Google employees and executives to describe the company's values. However, the removal of the motto from the preface of the code of conduct suggests that Google no longer sees it as the defining principle of its business.
In its place, Google has adopted a new motto: "Do the right thing." This motto is more specific and less ambiguous than "Don't be evil," and it is intended to provide guidance to Google employees as they make decisions about the company's business practices.
Funnily enough, I find "Do the right thing" to be even more ambiguous!
Do the right thing by whom? Their shareholders? Well now we're just throwing the problem over the proverbial fence, now aren't we?
"We're not evil! We're doing the right things according to our shareholders!... who just so happen to have evil intentions"
As long as we are interpreting "evil" as an adjective describing ones actions these seem pretty similar.
The convenient ambiguity of the word "right" to refer to both morality and cold pragmatism is definitely part of the decision. Something can be "right" as in strategically optimal but evil.
Interesting, so the new feature is additional ambiguity!