DeepMind philosophers argue AI benefits should reach all of humanity
On September 24, Google DeepMind research scientists Iason Gabriel and Atoosa Kasirzadeh published a long-form essay at the DeepMind Institute, arguing that as AI capabilities grow, "who benefits from the technology" should become a more central measure of technological progress. They explicitly call for a global perspective: no matter where AI is developed, people around the world have a moral right to share in its benefits.
Confirmed
- The essay was co-authored by Iason Gabriel and Atoosa Kasirzadeh and published by the DeepMind Institute, with the two signing as philosopher and researcher respectively.
- The argument unfolds along four lines: rights, reciprocity, fairness, and beneficence, each offering reasons to look beyond the people and places where AI is developed.
- The essay opens with two historical cases: in the 17th century, the Chamberlen family kept their life-saving obstetric forceps secret for a century, delaying the benefit to humanity by a hundred years; in 1959, Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seatbelt and opened the patent, a counterexample of how open technology can benefit the public.
Why it matters
- This is a systematic philosophical case from within DeepMind's research arm on the governance issue of "AI benefit distribution," placing universal access at the heart of how technological progress is judged—and it may provide a normative foundation for AI governance and policy debates.
2026-09-24 ~ 2026-09-24 · 6 related posts
Primary sources
- DeepMind's Iason Gabriel argues broad access to AI benefits should be central to evaluating tech progress — IasonGabriel ·
- DeepMind philosophers argue everyone has a moral claim to share AI's benefits — IasonGabriel ·
- Forceps vs. seatbelts: DeepMind essay makes the case for globally shared AI benefits — IasonGabriel ·
- DeepMind researchers make the moral case that AI benefits should reach everyone — Dr_Atoosa · 2026-09-24
- [source] DeepMind philosophers argue everyone has a moral claim to share AI's benefits — IasonGabriel · 2026-09-24
- Four philosophical grounds for why AI benefits should go global — IasonGabriel · 2026-09-24
- [source] DeepMind's Iason Gabriel argues broad access to AI benefits should be central to evaluating tech progress — IasonGabriel · 2026-09-24
- [source] Forceps vs. seatbelts: DeepMind essay makes the case for globally shared AI benefits — IasonGabriel · 2026-09-24
1 near-duplicate retellings: Dr_Atoosa