Google’s AI leadership came under fire in December when sterethics researcher Timnit Gebru was abruptly fired while working on a paper on the dangers of major language models. Now, new reporting from Bloomberg suggests the turmoil began long before its termination – and includes allegations of bias and sexual harassment.
Shortly after Gebru joined Google in 2018, she informed her boss that a colleague had been accused of sexual harassment at another organization. Katherine Heller, a Google researcher, reported the same incident, including allegations of inappropriate touching. Google immediately opened an investigation into the man’s behavior. Bloomberg did not mention the man accused of harassment, and The edge does not know its identity.
The allegations coincided with an even more explosive story. Andy Rubin, the “father of Android,” had received a $ 90 million exit package despite being credibly accused of sexual misconduct. The news sparked outrage at Google and 20,000 employees were out of work in protest at the company’s approach to sexual harassment.
Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, co-lead of the AI ethics team, went to AI chief Jeff Dean with a “litany of concerns,” said Bloomberg. They told Dean about the colleague accused of harassment, saying there was a perceived pattern of women being excluded and undermined in the investigation team. Some were given a lower role than men, despite better qualifications. Mitchell also said she was denied a promotion because of “vague complaints to HR about her personality.”
Dean was skeptical of the harassment allegations but said he would investigate. Bloomberg reports. He pushed back the idea that there was a pattern of women in the research team getting lower positions than men.
After the meeting, Dean announced a new investigation project with the alleged perpetrator at the helm. Nine months later, the man was fired for “leadership issues,” he said Bloomberg. He had been charged with misconduct at Google, although the investigation was still ongoing.
After the man was fired, he threatened to sue Google. The legal team told employees who had spoken out about his behavior that they might hear from the man’s attorneys. The company was ‘vague’ about whether it would defend the whistleblowers, Bloomberg reports.
The allegation of harassment was not an isolated incident. Gebru and her colleagues reported additional claims of inappropriate behavior and bullying after the initial charge.
In a statement by e-mail to The edge, a Google spokesperson said, “We are investigating all allegations and taking strong action against employees who violate our clear workplace policies.”
Gebru said there were also ongoing problems getting Google to respect the work of the ethical AI team. When she tried to view a dataset released by Waymo, Google’s self-driving car company, the project became embroiled in “ legal haggling. ” Gebru wanted to investigate the influence of skin color on Waymo’s pedestrian detection technology. “Waymo employees bombarded the team with questions, including why they were interested in skin color and what they intended to do with the results,” the report said. Bloomberg article.
After Gebru went public about her dismissal, she faced a bout of intimidation from people who claimed she was trying to get attention and play the victim. The latest news further confirms her response that the issues she raised were part of a pattern of perceived bias in the investigation team.
Update April 21, 6:05 PM ET: Article updated with statement from Google.