Google has created a global advisory council focusing on the ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.

The panel, which includes Joanna Bryson, associate professor at the University of Bath, will “consider some of Google’s most complex challenges” in regards to emerging technologies.

Kent Walker, Google’s head of global affairs, made the announcement in a blog post. Outlining the ambition of the panel, Walker said: “To complement the internal governance structure and processes that help us implement the principles, we’ve established an Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC).

“This group will consider some of Google’s most complex challenges that arise under our AI principles, like facial recognition and fairness in machine learning, providing diverse perspectives to inform our work.”

Facial recognition technology, and its use in society, is expected to be a key focus of the panel. Concerns over the data used to feed recognition systems have been raised frequently in recent years.

In 2018, Google’s former head of cloud computing, Diane Greene, claimed the tech was inherently biased due to a lack of diverse data available to organisations.

The announcement marks a shift of focus toward the ethical considerations of emerging technologies. Last year, the company came under fire for its involvement in a US Military drone project, dubbed ‘Project Maven’.

This project sparked a series of resignations at the firm and drew heavy criticism from among the company’s ranks.

Google responded to the scandal with a newly-established set of AI principles, which the firm would adhere to thereafter. This framework included a pledge to use emerging technologies for “socially beneficial” purposes and that any tech deployed would be accountable.

In his blog post, Walker also announced the first meeting date for the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), which will take place in April. Future meetings throughout 2019 are also scheduled, Walker added.

Panel Members

Panel members of the new advisory board include:

• Bubacarr Bah, an expert in applied and computational mathematics
• De Kai, a leading researcher in natural language processing, music technology and machine learning
• Alessandro Acquisti, a leading behavioural economist and privacy researcher
• Dyan Gibbens, an expert in industrial engineering and unmanned systems
• Kay Coles James, a public policy expert with extensive experience working at the local, state and federal levels of government
• Luciano Floridi, a leading philosopher and expert in digital ethics
• William Joseph Burns, former US deputy secretary of state, foreign policy expert and diplomat