Google has fired Margaret Mitchell, lead of the Ethical AI team at Google. The move comes just hours after Google announced diversity policy changes and an apology from Google AI chief Jeff Dean in the wake of the firing of former Google AI ethics lead Timnit Gebru in late 2020.
I’m fired.
— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 19, 2021
Mitchell, a staff research scientist and Google employee since 2016, had been under an internal investigation by Google for five weeks. In an email sent to management shortly before Mitchell was placed on investigation, Mitchell called Google firing Gebru “forever after a really, really, really terrible decision.”
Mitchell was a member of the recently formed Alphabet Workers Union. Timnit Gebru has previously suggested that union protection could be a key part of protection for AI researchers.
Earlier today, Google AI chief Jeff Dean apologized if Black and female employees were hurt by the firing of former Google AI ethics lead Timnit Gebru and a day after Google restructured its AI ethics efforts. Additional changes to Google diversity policy were also announced today include tying DEI goals to performance evaluations for employees at the VP level and above. As part of an organization restructure that took place Thursday, Google VP Marian Croak will oversee 10 teams within Google Research including the Ethical AI team. Croak will report directly to Jeff Dean.
“Marian is a highly accomplished trailblazing scientist that I had admired and even confided in. It’s incredibly hurtful to see her legitimizing what Jeff Dean and his subordinates have done to me and my team,” Gebru told VentureBeat about the decision Thursday.
Mitchell and Gebru came together to colead the Ethical AI team in 2018, eventually creating what’s believed to be one of the most diverse divisions within Google Research. The Ethical AI team has published research for models cards to bring transparency to AI and how to perform internal algorithm audits.
The way Gebru was fired led to allegations of racism and retaliation, and led to questions from thousands of Google employees and members of Congress with records of authoring legislation to regulate algorithms. Members of the Ethical AI team requested Google leadership take a series of steps to restore trust.
A Google spokesperson told VentureBeat that the Google legal team worked with outside counsel to conduct an investigation. A Google spokesperson did not provide details when asked what steps the organization has taken to meet demands to restore trust made by the Ethical AI team or laid out in a letter signed by more than 2,000 employees shortly after the firing of Timnit Gebru that called for a transparent investigation in full view of the public.
More to come
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