Margaret Mitchell: Google fires AI ethics Founder
Margaret: Google has fired the founder and co-head of its artificial intelligence ethics unit. Moreover, she declares to break the company’s code of conduct.
In an announcement, Google said an investigation found Margaret Mitchell had moved files outside the company. The ethics unit has been under inspection since December. Moreover, backing the exit of another senior figure, Timmit Gebru.
However, both women had to fight for more diversity at Google and raised concerns about the restriction within the company. Ms. Mitchell reports the news in a tweet, which read “I’m fired”. On the other hand, Past five weeks she had been locked out of Google’s systems, including her emails and calendars. Ms. Mitchell was a ferocious attacker of Google’s and had expressed concern about Dr. Gebru’s departure from the company.
Dr. Gebru, a major Artificial Intelligence ethics researcher, says she was fired late last year after sending an internal email. That cites Google of “silencing marginalized voices”. However, Google claims she left the company. Moreover, she co-authored a research paper which she says, she is asking to take back. The paper had discovered defects in AI language technology, including a system set up by Google.
As per Dr. Gebru, Google replied: “We respect your decision to leave Google and we are accepting your resignation.” The result produces many within the scientific community to question. The ethics of conducting research with big technology companies.
On the other hand, hundreds of co-workers signed a letter in support of her. In reaction, the company’s chief executive Sundar Pichai apologized for the way she left the company.
Google has been criticized for a lack of diversity in its workforce, and there is anxiety about the AI technology that sustains many of its services.
