Google AI ethics says she was fired for an email, 1,400 googlers sign a letter in support of her

Timnit Gebru, co-leader of Google’s Ethical Artificial Intelligence team, said Wednesday at the end that she was suddenly fired by the search giant via an email she sent to colleagues.

Gebru, a prominent AI researcher, conducted studies on the dangers of facial recognition bias and ruled on the lack of diversity in the tech sector. In the wake of his departure, more than 1,400 Google workers, as well as more than 1,800 other industry professionals, signed an open letter in support of Gebru.

“Instead of being hailed by Google as an exceptionally talented and prolific contributor, Dr. Gebru had to face defense, racism, gaslighting, search censorship and now retaliation,” the letter reads.

In a series of tweets On Wednesday night, Gebru said she was shut down for a message she sent to Google Brain Women and Allies, an internal company mailing list. After sending the email, Gebru said she received a note from her manager telling her the message was “inconsistent with the expectations of a Google manager”.

I was fired from @ JeffDean for my email to Brain Women and Allies. My business account has been terminated. So I was immediately fired 🙂

– Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) December 3, 2020

Gebru has not publicly shared the contents of his initial email to the Brain group. But the email allegedly criticized Google’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion operation for being irresponsible, according to Platformer, who posted the message. “So if you want to change things, I suggest you focus on leadership responsibility and think about what kinds of pressures can be applied from the outside as well,” Gebru wrote.

In the email, Gebru said she was working on a research paper with colleagues when she was suddenly asked to withdraw it without explanation. Gebru said on Twitter that he sent the research paper to his manager, apparently giving the company a list of requests to satisfy. She she said she didn’t quit, but that his manager sent an email to Gebru’s direct reports to say he “accepted my resignation”. Subsequently, Gebru said his corporate email account had been closed.

In an email to employees on Thursday, first published by Platformer, Google AI chief Jeff Dean said that one of Gebru’s requests was to identify every person Dean and Gebru’s manager consulted. as part of the document review process. He urged employees to continue working with Google’s diversity programs as well. “I’m also sorry that hundreds of you got an email just this week from Timnit telling you to stop working on the fundamentals programs,” wrote Dean. “Please no.”

Gebru did not respond to a request for comment. Google declined to comment beyond Dean’s email.

After Gebru said Wednesday that she was fired, former Google employees began tweeting “I support @timnitGebru”.

The incident with Gebru comes as Google has already drawn intense criticism for its handling of labor issues. On the same day as Gebru’s tweets, Google was accused by the US Labor Committee of retaliation against workers who organized protests against the search giant. In a National Labor Relations Board complaint, the federal agency said Google broke U.S. labor laws by surveying, interrogating, and firing activist employees.

In recent years, Google has faced an uproar as it has dealt with riots in its workforce. Employees in rank and file have spoken out against the company’s work in China, its contracts with the U.S. military, and Google’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against executives.

Gebru’s release also sparked backlash from critics already worried about Google’s work in ethical AI. When Google assembled an AI ethics council last year, the company was criticized last year for the people chosen to be part of it. One member, Kay Cole James of the Heritage Foundation, was accused of being anti-immigrant and homophobic. The board was dissolved just over a week after the announcement.