Internal memo: Sundar Pichai apologizes over the handling of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru's departure and says he will investigate
Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologized Wednesday for the company's handling of the departure of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru and said he would investigate …
Axios Ina Fried
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Discussion
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@timnitgebru
Timnit Gebru
on x
Don't paint me as an “angry Black woman” for whom you need “de-escalation strategies” for. This thread is just the beginning of the toxicity I dealt with since before I even joined Google and I haven't said anything specific yet. 1\ https://twitter.com/...
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@inafried
Ina Fried
on x
Pichai sounds a contrite note, acknowledging broken trust and pledging to do better, but the upset runs deep within Google's ranks, especially those concerned with diversity and academic freedom. More here: https://www.axios.com/... tip @Techmeme
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@rafaelshimunov
Raf
on x
Women in science, Big Tech says. Black lives matter, Big Tech says. Silence and fire your co-lead AI ethicist Black woman, Big Tech does. https://www.wired.com/...
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@yoda
Drew Olanoff
on x
Good. Hopefully action follows. https://www.axios.com/...
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@kimcrayton1
@kimcrayton1
on x
Spot The Pattern Always the hero/victim, never the villain How unfortunate that org leaders can NEVER seem to figure out the shit that folx keep screaming about UNTIL those issues cause them a crisis management issue Her work IS THE CONVERSATION & y'all CHOOSE not to have it http…
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@azeem
Azeem Azhar
on x
Hey, Google: How to you spell “corporate doublespeak”? https://www.axios.com/...
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@justkelly_ok
Kelly Ellis
on x
Personally I'm not too optimistic about this. It's just a PR stunt and nothing meaningful will come of it. https://twitter.com/...
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@ohthatflo
@ohthatflo
on x
I know we want something to come of this, but this is not going to make anything happen. Because it would have happened already, years ago, during the initial walkout. https://www.axios.com/...
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@joshsternberg
Josh Sternberg
on x
Pichai acknowledged the depth of the damage done by the company's actions and said the company would look at all aspects of the situation, but stopped short of saying the company made a mistake in removing Gebru. https://www.axios.com/...
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@dinabass
Dina Bass
on x
Google's Pichai says the company will investigate its handling of @timnitGebru's dismissal, one day after a heated meeting with Black Googlers had some questioning their trust of Google and others saying the meeting seemed like “gas lighting.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
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@jackclarksf
Jack Clark
on x
Google CEO writes letter re @timnitGebru Sundar: “learning from our experiences like the departure of Dr. Timnit Gebru” Translated Sundar: “analyzing why I let us fire Timnit Gebru and am now desperately trying to position myself as a bystander” https://www.axios.com/...
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@_alialkhatib
Ali Alkhatib
on x
https://www.axios.com/... > We will begin a review of what happened to identify all the points where we can learn — considering everything from de-escalation strategies to new processes we can put in place de-escalation? what the fuck?
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@mer__edith
Meredith Whittaker
on x
Remembering when @sundarpichai publicly supported the walkout (last min effort at cooptation). This was a couple days before Google filed a motion at the national labor relations board trying to limit workers' ability to organize. https://twitter.com/...
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@wired
@wired
on x
.@tsimonite saw the paper that Google fired AI researcher Timnit Gebru over. The most remarkable thing about it? How uncontroversial it is https://www.wired.com/...
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@bobbyallyn
Bobby Allyn
on x
“I've heard the reaction to Dr. Gebru's departure loud and clear: it seeded doubts and led some in our community to question their place at Google. I want to say how sorry I am for that, and I accept the responsibility of working to restore your trust.” https://twitter.com/...
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@kevinroose
Kevin Roose
on x
Google responded faster and more apologetically to employee outrage over @timnitGebru's firing than it has to....hundreds?....of regulatory inquiries and media scandals. Not being able to recruit is an existential risk.
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@kevinroose
Kevin Roose
on x
To me this says a) Google seems to have handled this whole situation very badly, and b) the solidarity of tech employees, especially those with track records in AI and other hyper-competitive subfields, is an enormously powerful and underrated force. https://www.axios.com/...
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@axios
@axios
on x
Scoop: Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologized for the company's handling of the departure of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru and said he'd investigate the events and work to restore trust, per an internal memo sent companywide and obtained by Axios. https://www.axios.com/...