Google fired a top AI researcher on Friday, the second high-profile exit to illuminate an undesirable spotlight in both managing sensitive artificial intelligence issues and broader internal discontent over race and diversity.
The internet group said Margaret Mitchell, co-director of its AI ethics group, was fired for “multiple violations of our code of conduct” and security policies. This included “exfiltration of confidential confidential documents and private data from other employees,” he said.
The move comes two months after the departure of Timnit Gebru, the other head of the ethics group, who was formed to lead research on new techniques to ensure that the company’s AI technology was used fairly and impartially.
Gebru said she was fired after the company blocked the publication of a co-authored research article on potential bias in language AI systems like those used by Google, while the company said it had chosen to leave. .
Gebru’s departure also highlighted persistent discontent within Google regarding the treatment of racial and gender diversity issues.
In a letter published within the company at the time of Gebru’s departure and later released publicly, Mitchell claimed that the dispute resulted from mistreatment by his fellow researcher.
“The shooting appears to have been fueled by the same fundamentals of racism and sexism that our AI systems absorb when in the wrong hands,” she said.
She added that Gebru “refused to submit to a system that requires her to undermine her integrity as a researcher and to demean herself below her fellow researchers.”
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google, apologized internally for the loss of Gebru and promised an internal review.
“We need to accept responsibility for the fact that a prominent black leader with immense talent has made Google unhappy,” he wrote in an email to the team. “This loss had a ripple effect on some of our less-represented communities, who saw themselves and some of their experiences reflected in Dr. Gebru’s.”