Feb 22, 2021 11:47:00

Google turns out to have fired a new researcher on the ethical AI team

In December 2020, Google fired

Timnit Gebru , the technical leader of the ethical artificial intelligence (AI) team. The dismissal was flooded with protests from Google employees and AI researchers, but it was revealed that a new researcher, Margaret Mitchell , who was in the same position, was also dismissed.

Margaret Mitchell fired from Google --Axios
https://www.axios.com/google-fires-another-ai-ethics-leader-6ef7dcd5-4583-4396-b5b3-129547ff3091.html

Google tweaks diversity, research policies following inquiry --Axios
https://www.axios.com/google-tweaks-diversity-research-policies-following-inquiry-8baa6346-d2a2-456f-9743-7912e4659ca2.html

It is reported that Mr. Gebble, who was dismissed in December 2020, was forced to leave Google as a result of being asked by Google to 'withdraw or resign the treatise'. This Google response is flooded with protests from employees, saying that 'the way research and treatises are done within Google is twisted.' In addition, because Mr. Gebble was a black woman, there were questions that 'Isn't Google's dismissal due to racism?'

Google's dismissal of researchers on the ethical AI team is blamed for 'unprecedented censorship', more than 1,200 Google employees sign protests-GIGAZINE

Mr. Mitchell, who was newly dismissed this time, searched Google's internal email using a script to verify whether there was any discriminatory treatment against Mr. Gebble. Also, at 4:00 am on January 20, 2021 Japan time, 'Let's find a black who will be on your side' in response to the report that 'Google CEO

Sundar Pichai will meet with the black president of the university' ', And was developing criticism of Google.

Say you have a problem with consistently alienating Black women and have caused serious damage in their lives.
You could:
A) try to undo that damage
B) try to find more Black people to like you (the tokenism approach).
Good luck ..... https://t.co/rrhL8AQDIF

— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) January 19, 2021

Later, at 10 am on January 20, 2021 Japan time, Mr. Gebble posted on Twitter, 'Mitchell's corporate account has been locked. I have never seen a company so embarrassing.' Reported that your Google internal account was locked for some reason. Google explained why Mitchell's account was locked: 'Google's security system automatically locks your account when it detects access to sensitive information or the risk of your account being compromised due to a privilege issue. Mitchell stole thousands of files and shared them with external accounts, 'he said , claiming the legitimacy of account locks.

Guess what? @mmitchell_ai's corp access is now locked. I'm wondering if she's going to get an email to her personal email accepting her “resignation.” I have not seen a company that has this little shame in a while.

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) January 20, 2021

Google announced a reorganization of its AI ethics operations on February 18, 2021. Marian Cloak has been appointed as the head of the AI responsible team. However, Mitchell about this reorganization is a 'learned for the first time to see the news,' he says .

Google formed a new AI responsible team in response to discussions on AI ethics, and criticism from inside and outside the company --GIGAZINE

After that, Mr. Mitchell posted on Twitter 'I'm fired' at 7:00 am on February 20, 2021 Japan time, and reported that he was dismissed by Google.

I'm fired.

— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 19, 2021

'We investigated Mr. Mitchell's behavior, which violates security policies and codes of conduct, such as the leakage of confidential business documents and employee personal information,' Google told American news site Axios . The act was confirmed, 'he said, claiming that Mitchell's dismissal was done for good reason.