Thread by @ohheyitselliot

It's a shame so many people are learning @timnitGebru's name because a scared white man fired her from Google. While you’re paying attention, here are some vastly more important and interesting things to know about Timnit Gebru, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. #ISupportTimnit

(1) Originally from Ethiopia, @timnitGebru came to the US when she was 16-years-old. High school teachers expected her to fail. A guidance counselor nearly gaslit her into believing no university would ever accept her. She proved them wrong repeatedly. forbes.com/sites/mariyaya…

(2) Alongside @jovialjoy and @rajiinio, @timnitGebru is responsible for identifying racial bias in facial recognition technology. She plays a central role in what is now mainstream awareness of algorithmic bias and the danger it poses. More on this in #5. nytimes.com/2018/02/09/tec…

(3) During a conference in 2016, @timnitGebru counted 6 Black people in an audience of 8500. She was the only Black woman. In response, she founded @black_in_ai to increase the presence of Black people in the field of Artificial Intelligence. There's more. blackinai2020.vercel.app

(4) @timnitGebru is as brilliant as she is tenacious. She has a BS, MS, and PhD in electrical engineering—all from @Stanford. She has worked at @Apple, @Microsoft, & @Google. She helped develop the first iPad. Her research has genuinely changed our world. ai.stanford.edu/~tgebru/

(5) This year, @timnitGebru's defense of human rights against algorithmic bias reached a critical milestone: @IBM ditched plans for facial recognition tech. @Microsoft & @amazon placed restrictions on use of their facial recognition platforms by police. technologyreview.com/2020/06/12/100…

(6) @timnitGebru is fiercely respected and dearly loved. She was 1 of only 1.6% of @Google employees who are Black women (~2100/132,120). How are other Black women treated at Google when Timnit, in all her excellence, is treated like this publicly? googlewalkout.medium.com/standing-with-…

So, while you’re adjudicating the circumstances of @JeffDean firing @timnitGebru for doing her job—which happened to expose potential dangers of large language models and threaten @Google's core business—remember to also say thank you, Timnit! #BelieveBlackWomen #ISupportTimnit

Hello! So nice to celebrate @timnitGebru with you all. The truth is that Black women lead the field here. Check out these folks and please amplify others @safiyanoble @ruha9 @merbroussard @jovialjoy @rajiinio @alondra @LatanyaSweeney @YESHICAN @mutalenkonde @DrFCP1 Thank you ✨🙏🏻

Oh wow! 😍😍😍 Also this:

https://twitter.com/WomeninAIEthics/status/1335351705580437504