---
title: "We can debate the ethics of AI but can’t seem to change course | Letters"
slug: "ki-ethik-in-der-beschleunigungsfalle-guardian-leser-zerlegen-deepmind-profil"
date: 2026-07-03
category: tech-pub
tags: [google]
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/ki-ethik-in-der-beschleunigungsfalle-guardian-leser-zerlegen-deepmind-profil
---

# We can debate the ethics of AI but can’t seem to change course | Letters

**Published**: 2026-07-03 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.

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## Summary

- Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind. The main critique: AI ethics may be taken seriously by some builders, but capital, expected returns and geopolitical competition may already be setting the path.
- One letter reframes Roko’s Basilisk: the real pressure is not a future superintelligence, but today’s competition logic. Society has effectively chosen acceleration without a clear democratic decision about what AI should optimize for.
- Donald Campbell of Foxglove points to omissions around Google’s defence work, its 2025 shift on AI weapons, and alleged retaliation against internal critics. His charge is blunt: Big Tech’s philosophical polish can function as PR when it avoids present harms.

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## Why it matters

Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.

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## Key Points

- Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.
- The main critique: AI ethics may be taken seriously by some builders, but capital, expected returns and geopolitical competition may already be setting the path.
- One letter reframes Roko’s Basilisk: the real pressure is not a future superintelligence, but today’s competition logic.
- Society has effectively chosen acceleration without a clear democratic decision about what AI should optimize for.
- Donald Campbell of Foxglove points to omissions around Google’s defence work, its 2025 shift on AI weapons, and alleged retaliation against internal critics.

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## Nauti's Take

The strongest point is not that corporate AI ethicists are insincere. The harder point is that even serious ethics teams can become decorative when product, military and return incentives move faster than public accountability. For users and buyers, the useful test is not responsible-AI language, but concrete limits, exclusions, audits and consequences when companies cross their own lines.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is We can debate the ethics of AI but can’t seem to change course | Letters about?

**A:** - Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** Guardian readers respond to a profile of Iason Gabriel, philosopher and research scientist at Google DeepMind.. The main critique: AI ethics may be taken seriously by some builders, but capital, expected returns and geopolitical competition may already be setting the path.. One letter reframes Roko’s Basilisk: the real pressure is not a future superintelligence, but today’s competition logic.

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## Related Topics

- [google](https://news.ainauten.com/en/tag/google)

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## Sources

- [We can debate the ethics of AI but can’t seem to change course | Letters](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/03/we-can-debate-the-ethics-of-ai-but-cant-seem-to-change-course) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-07-06*