Skip to main content

Google given a list of demands from Ethical AI team in internal dispute

Google doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to ethics.

What you need to know

  • Google's AI ethics team has made a list of demands following the removal of AI researcher Timnit Gebru.
  • The demands include the removal of the company vice president from the team's chain of information.
  • The team also calls for Google to reinstate Gebru, albeit to a higher position than she was before.

Google isn't known to have the best ethical reputation. The company is constantly being hit with privacy and antitrust allegations and is currently in the midst of several lawsuits surrounding its practices. So when this ethical debacle surfaced surrounding the dismissal of Google AI ethics team co-lead, it definitely wasn't a good look for the company. Now a six-page letter has been presented to Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, listing several demands for the company to make things right.

The circumstances surrounding the terms on which Timnit Gebru was dismissed from Google are complicated, and we have a more comprehensive look at the situation in a separate article. In a nutshell, Gebru wrote a paper that criticizes language models that are too large to mitigate, and expresses concern on how these language models can lead to ethical risks such as environmental racism. These same AI technologies are found in many applications used in today's best Android devices, so Google was understandably concerned with the implications. Her paper was not immediately accepted, and it was requested that she make changes to reflect Google's recent efforts to address such concerns.

Where the situation gets a little cloudy is how things were handled after that, but after Google allegedly failed to meet Gebru's demands for her to make the changes, she was dismissed. The aftermath grew into an internal, and very much public, clash between the Google AI ethics team and company executives. Now the remaining team has presented company executives with a list of demands in a letter titled "The Future of Ethical AI at Google Research".

Google's short-sighted decision to fire and retaliate against a core member of the Ethical AI team makes it clear that we need swift and structural changes if this work is to continue, and if the legitimacy of the field as a whole is to persevere. This research must be able to contest the company's short-term interests and immediate revenue agendas, as well as to investigate AI that is deployed by Google's competitors with similar ethical motives.

As part of the letter, the research team is calling for the removal of engineering Vice President Megan Kacholia from the reporting structure, stating that they have "lost trust in her as a leader". It also asks that both she and AI Chief, Jeff Dean, to apologize to Gebru. Among other demands, such as keeping employees that defend Gebru safe from retaliation, the letter also proposes Google allow Gebru to return to her position at a higher level.

While CEO Sundar Pichai apologized and committed to investigating the situation, the researchers are asking that they be given the details of her dismissal so they can have a comprehensive look at the situation from both sides. Even U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker have also chimed in, asking for the details of Pichai's internal investigation and to look into how Google addresses discrimination within the company.

Get More Pixel 5

Google Pixel 5

$700 at Amazon $700 at Best Buy $700 at B&H



Source: androidcentral

Popular posts from this blog

The hidden cost of food delivery

Noah Lichtenstein Contributor Share on Twitter Noah Lichtenstein is the founder and managing partner of Crossover , a diversified private technology fund backed by institutional investors, technology execs and professional athletes and entertainers. More posts by this contributor What Studying Students Teaches Us About Great Apps I’ll admit it: When it comes to food, I’m lazy. There are dozens of great dining options within a few blocks of my home, yet I still end up ordering food through delivery apps four or five times per week. With the growing coronavirus pandemic closing restaurants and consumers self-isolating, it is likely we will see a spike in food delivery much like the 20% jump China reported during the peak of its crisis. With the food delivery sector rocketing toward a projected $365 billion by the end of the decade, I’m clearly not the only one turning to delivery apps even before the pandemic hit. Thanks to technology (and VC funding) we can get a ri

Cyber Monday Canada: Last-minute deals for everyone on your list

Best Cyber Monday Canada deals: Smart Home Audio Phones, Tablets & Accessories Wearables Laptops & PC Components Amazon products Gaming Televisions Cameras Lifestyle & Kitchen Toys & Kids Cyber Monday Canada is here, and retailers are rolling out the red carpet for customers who want to shop for everything from tech to kitchenware to games and everything in between. Unlike years past, Cyber Monday Canada deals look a bit different than normal. Instead of retailers trying to pack their stores with as many shoppers as possible, we're seeing tons of online deals that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your home. We've rounded up our favorites below, so feel free to browse through the best of what Canada Cyber Monday has to offer! This list is being updated with new Cyber Monday deals all the time, so check back often. Spotlight deals It's a Switch Nintendo Switch Fortnite Edition bundle $399.95 at Amazon It's a Switch.

Slack’s new integration deal with AWS could also be about tweaking Microsoft

Slack and Amazon announced a big integration late yesterday afternoon. As part of the deal, Slack will use Amazon Chime for its call feature, while reiterating its commitment to use AWS as its preferred cloud provider to run its infrastructure. At the same time, AWS has agreed to use Slack for internal communications. Make no mistake, this is a big deal as the SaaS communications tool increases its ties with AWS, but this agreement could also be about slighting Microsoft and its rival Teams product by making a deal with a cloud rival. In the past Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield has had choice words for Microsoft saying the Redmond technology giant sees his company as an “existential threat.” Whether that’s true or not — Teams is but one piece of a huge technology company — it’s impossible not to look at the deal in this context. Aligning more deeply with AWS sends a message to Microsoft, whose Azure infrastructure services compete with AWS. Butterfield didn’t say that of course

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: 50+ Differences Compared

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c