Google has gotten itself into another management crisis. On Dec. 2, Timnit Gebru, an artificial intelligence researcher best known for showing how facial recognition algorithms are better at identifying White people than Black people, said she’d been fired. Gebru’s boss described her departure as a resignation, but both sides acknowledged the conflict centered on Google’s discomfort with a research paper Gebru planned to publish about ethical issues related to technology that underpins some of the company’s key products.
To date, more than 2,300 Googlers and 3,700 others have signed a petition supporting Gebru. Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai sent an email on Dec. 9 apologizing to employees for how the company had handled her departure and promising to review the situation, saying it had “seeded doubts and led some in our community to question their place at Google.”
Pichai didn’t seem to have only ethics researchers in mind. Gebru, a Black woman, has been an outspoken advocate for other non-White employees. The two issues—the lack of diversity within the tech industry and the way advanced software products can harm underrepresented demographic groups—have become increasingly intertwined. Many of the researchers and employees raising concerns are members of marginalized groups that don’t have much power at the company, according to Gebru. Speaking of Google, she says, “Nobody should trust that they are self-policing their products.” A Google spokesperson declined to comment.
This story is from the December 21, 2020 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 21, 2020 edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
Brazil Yanks the Welcome Mat for Oil Investors
Foreign oil majors have filed an injunction to halt a new tax on crude exports
POINT OF FAILURE
Silicon Valley Bank's collapse exposed a weakness in tech and in the broader economy
Glencore Stays the Course With Coal
The commodities giant’s CEO says the fossil fuel is still necessary, even as he pursues minerals needed for the energy transition
Under Pressure
History shows that when the Federal Reserve is raising rates, an unexpected shock can trigger a recession
Where the Ax Will Fall Next
Another week, another round of job cuts—this time Meta Platforms Inc. is adding to the 11,000 people it fired in November with thousands more, Bloomberg News has reported.
The Case for Ditching Your Wallet
Bellroy's clever phone carrier keeps those last crucial cards close.