Google’s diversity efforts have been questioned by personnel and adds to years of angst.
Alphabet Inc’s Google is investigating a member of its ethical AI group and has locked the corporate account linked to that particular person following obtaining that thousands of files have been retrieved from its server and shared with external accounts, the firm stated on Wednesday.
Axios, which initial reported the newest investigation about a member of Google’s AI group, stated Margaret Mitchell had been making use of automated scripts to appear by means of her messages to uncover examples displaying discriminatory remedy of Timnit Gebru, a former employee in the AI group who was fired.
Gebru, who is Black, was a top rated AI ethics researcher at Google and was fired in December. While Gebru claimed she was sacked for criticizing the diversity efforts inside Google’s AI unit, the firm has disputed it.
“Our security systems automatically lock an employee’s corporate account when they detect that the account is at risk of compromise due to credential problems or when an automated rule involving the handling of sensitive data has been triggered,” a Google representative stated in a statement.
“We are actively investigating this matter as part of standard procedures to gather additional details.”
Mitchell did not straight away respond to a request for comment through her LinkedIn account.
Google’s diversity efforts have been questioned by personnel and adds to years of angst, which includes a number of resignations and firings in the AI division, raising doubts no matter whether the company’s efforts to decrease the prospective harms of its services are adequate.
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