Google’s ethical AI team sent a list of demands to “rebuild trust” to Google officials after removing its co-lead and renowned researcher Timnit Gabru.
Google’s ethical AI team, which it says advises on research, production and policy, wrote a six-page letter to company CEO Sundar Pichai, AI chief Jeff Dean and engineering vice president Megan Kacholia. Entitled “Future of Ethical AI in Google Research” and viewed by CNBC, the letter lists officials’ demands, including removing Kacholia from the group’s reporting structure, avoiding retaliation, and putting Gabru back at a higher level.
“Over the past two weeks, we have heard the Google leadership say that it is committed to continuing the important work of diversification, equity and inclusion in the research PA and supporting the Ethical AI team,” the letter said. “But we must remember that words that are not connected to action are a sign of virtue; they are harmful, extravagant, defensive, and indicate a leadership’s inability to understand how our organization is part of the problem.”
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
The employee’s correspondence, two weeks after Gabru, presents distrust in the leadership, led by a well-known artificial intelligence researcher and technical co-leader of Google’s Ethical AI team. Tweeted Google fired him because of disagreements over a research paper that tests bias in artificial intelligence. Elaborating on the company’s treatment of black employees, Gabru claimed that the treatment was indicative of a wider pattern on Google and closed down industry-wide support, including an application signed by thousands of Google employees and businessmen.
Last week, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai emailed employees apologizing for the mistrust in the company and industry after Gabru’s departure, while promising the company would “start” a review of what went wrong.
Sense early Wednesday. Sent several members of the Democratic Congress, including Elizabeth Vern Run and Corey Booker Letter Pichai asked for details of his “review” of Gabru’s firing, as well as details of Google’s efforts to reduce discriminatory bias in large-scale language models, which Jeff Dean initially said was a reason to reject Gabru’s team’s paperwork. The congressional letter states that the universe of selected AI researchers is limited in size, and that Google’s policies regarding employee publishing are likely to take shape in academic and public discourses on AI.
“Google’s short-sighted decision to shoot and retaliate against a key member of the Ethical AI team makes it clear that we need rapid and structural changes if this is to continue, and if the legitimacy of this area is to continue,” Google’s AI Read the letter from the ethics team.
A letter from employees asking for Kacholia’s removal continues, with the team stating that Gabru had instructed Jibru to remove him without directly notifying the manager. “We have lost faith in Megan Kacholia and we urge her to be removed from our reporting chain,” the letter said. “Timnit’s former manager, Sammy Bengio, should report directly to Jeff Dean.”
The group called on Jeff Dean and Kacholia to apologize to Gabru and “hold him accountable” for his firing, which has hurt Google’s Gabru and Black community. “We’re looking forward to removing Megan from our management chain.”
He also wants details of Gabru’s firing. “Without understanding the process and degree to which each leader is involved, it is impossible to move forward with the necessary structural changes to ensure that this harmful behavior does not recur,” the letter said.
He also asks that employees who have defended Gabru not be punished by “revenge”.
“We know from Google’s past changes that they mostly hurt and marginalize workers without firing,” employees said. “Instead, the company rates them poorly in the future performance review cycle, shifting their daily workload to something desirable and placing other direct and indirect limits on career growth.”
Employees “also ask for clear commitments that allow research to discuss the disadvantages of special technologies, including potentially in terms of Google’s interests, products and research areas,” the letter said, adding that the Q1 2021 deadline Requested for.
Employees were told to re-establish Gabru and also to come to a higher level.
“The removal of Timnit has had a devastating effect on our entire team,” the letter said. “She (Gabru) and Mag Mitchell nurtured a diverse, productive team that thrived in a mentally secure environment. Returning Timnit to a higher level would help restore confidence and recreate our team environment.”
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