Thread by @timnitGebru

cnn.com/2021/03/11/tec…. In depth article by @rachelmetz

"She responded to Bender that she was trying to get Google to consider the ethical implications of large language models."

Well. Thats how THAT went.

I didn't "exit" "leave" or "depart" tho in so much as I was fired.

"With very few laws regulating AI in the United States, companies and academic institutions often make their own rules about what is and isn't okay when developing increasingly powerful software. "

In a statement, Google said it has hundreds of people working on responsible AI, and has produced more than 200 publications related to building responsible AI in the past year

Thats their MO any time they fire someone, they like to make them look like they are JUST ONE of many

They said the same thing when they pushed out Meredith

"The company, which has faced public criticism from its employees over its handling of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace, has previously pledged to "build a more equitable and respectful workplace."

Uhuh

I do documentation of such incidents. Some more than others though cause they cutoff my email access...

"The outside world sees us much more as experts, really respects us a lot more than anyone at Google," Gebru said. "It was such a shock when I arrived there to see that"

Yep

"including Mitchell, who called it a "horrible life-changing loss in a year of horrible life-changing losses.""

Google is like you think THIS is a horrible loss? Wait till we lock you out for 4 weeks and fire you after "apologizing" for how we handle "sensitive exists.

"Dean announced several policy changes in an internal memo, saying Google plans to modify its approach for handling how certain employees leave the company after finishing a months-long review of Gebru's exit."

Imagine writing that in the morning then firing Meg in the afternoon

The company cited a review that found "multiple violations" of its code of conduct, including taking "confidential business-sensitive documents and private data of other employees."

Do tell which business-sensistive documents she took & which private data.

Do tell how harassers don't break CoC & you protect them. Or maybe you send them off with millions? Or maybe you passive aggressively don't promote them?

We're waiting.

"I have no doubt that my advocacy on race and gender issues, as well as my support of Dr. Gebru, led to me being banned and then terminated," she said.

How can anyone have any doubt that this is the case?

"It's absolutely devastating," Hanna said. "How are you supposed to do work as usual? How are you even supposed to know what kinds of things you can say? How are you supposed to know what kinds of things you're supposed to do?

"What are going to be the conditions in which the company throws you under the bus?""

You guys realize that Michael Lissack, whose been harassing us for months, and who congratulated Jeff Dean and Marian Croak, had also emailed Alex saying "you're next" right?

"On Monday, Google Walkout for Real Change, an activism group formed in 2018 by Google employees to protest sexual harassment and misconduct at the company, called for those in the AI field to stand in solidarity with the AI ethics group."

What grassroots organizing looks like.

"But until Google provides some transparency about its research and publication processes, Bender thinks "everything that comes out of Google has a big asterisk next to it.""

"A recent Reuters report that Google lawyers had edited one of its researchers' AI papers is also fueling mistrust regarding work that comes out of the company. (Google responded to Reuters by saying it edited the paper due to inaccurate usage of legal terms.)"

HUH?

INACCURATE USAGE? These people don't stop. Lawyers edit scientific work & talk about "inaccurate usage of legal terms?" how about the results you made them remove? How about "strike a positive tone?" How about removing all uses of the word "privacy?"

ZERO SHAME at this company

"In early March, the FAccT conference halted its sponsorship agreement with Google. Gebru is one of the conference's founders, and served as a member of FAccT's first executive committee."

Not sure if I'd be considered a founder but I was a founding member of the EC