Why do tech companies claim AI development serves humanity when profit seems to be the real motivation?

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1

I’m getting tired of hearing the same promises about artificial intelligence. Every major tech company says they’re building AI to solve cancer, fix environmental problems, and tackle issues that humans can’t handle alone.

It reminds me of politicians who make grand promises about helping people while having completely different hidden agendas. The pattern feels identical in the tech world.

These AI companies present themselves as humanitarian organizations focused on improving life for everyone. They talk about creating a future where traditional economics don’t matter because technology will provide abundance for all.

But when you look at what’s actually happening, it’s clear that money drives every decision. These companies want to get wealthy as quickly as possible, and they don’t seem concerned about potential risks or harm their technology might cause.

Take the major players in this space. For years, they experimented with different approaches and maintained large teams dedicated to ensuring their technology developed safely and responsibly.

Then they discovered that making massive language models and training them on enormous datasets could generate serious revenue from corporate clients. Suddenly, everything changed. The safety teams got smaller or disappeared entirely because they were slowing down development.

The real reason corporations love this technology isn’t because it will cure diseases or save the environment. They see it as a way to replace human employees and increase their profit margins.

All the diverse research stopped. Safety became less important. Everything became secretive instead of open. The focus shifted entirely to the most profitable applications.

Meanwhile, millions of people are losing jobs that used to provide decent living wages. In the future, this could affect billions of workers. But as long as it makes the tech executives incredibly wealthy, they seem fine with these consequences.

It’s ironic that they promise AI will make life better for everyone, including affordable medical treatments, when many people won’t be able to afford anything because AI eliminated their employment opportunities.

2

The hypocrisy shows when you look at how these companies fight regulation. If they really cared about humanity, they’d welcome oversight and transparency. Instead, they blow millions lobbying against any real regulation while claiming their tech is too important to restrict. I’ve seen this pattern over and over in AI policy discussions. The same execs giving speeches about democratizing AI will lock their best models behind expensive paywalls. They say open research is dangerous, but they’re really just protecting their competitive edge. The humanitarian talk does two things - attracts talent who want meaningful work and gives them cover to aggressively expand into new markets. Until these companies accept profit cuts for real safety measures, the altruistic messaging is just marketing to keep public support while they reshape entire industries.

3

The whole “AI for humanity” thing is just like tobacco companies claiming they care about public health. These CEOs know exactly what they’re doing - they wrap profit motives in feel-good language so people don’t ask hard questions. Look how fast they pivot when money’s involved. Safety teams get disbanded, research goes closed-source… actions speak louder than PR statements.

4

Having worked in the tech industry for several years, I can see valid points on both sides of the argument. On one hand, many engineers are genuinely passionate about leveraging AI to tackle significant issues like healthcare and sustainability. They enter the field with altruistic motivations and truly believe in their potential to drive positive change. However, the reality is that these idealistic intentions often collide with corporate interests. As companies face market pressures, the focus shifts towards maximizing profits, leading to reductions in safety measures and research integrity. I’ve witnessed talented researchers leave due to the prioritization of speed and profit over thoughtful innovation. It’s not that the individuals driving AI development are without good intentions; rather, the business environment rewards short-term gains, undermining long-term goals of genuine societal benefit. Consequently, the humanitarian narrative often serves as a façade, masking the true drive for profit.