Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#1

Post by elsewhen » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:43 PM UTC

Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union
news.yahoo.com

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#2

Post by rjeli » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:49 PM UTC

Better headline: Google claims employee tried to leak internal documents

edit: misread, thought it said thousands of documents, fixed

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#3

Post by tpmx » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:51 PM UTC

rjeli wrote: post #2

Better headline: Google claims employee tried to leak internal documents edit: misread, thought it said thousands of documents, fixed

Sounds interesting - link?

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#4

Post by rjeli » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:55 PM UTC

tpmx wrote: post #3

rjeli wrote: post #2

Better headline: Google claims employee tried to leak internal documents edit: misread, thought it said thousands of documents, fixed

Sounds interesting - link?

In TFA. Misread the # of docs, edited

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#5

Post by tpmx » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

rjeli wrote: post #4

tpmx wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds interesting - link?

In TFA. Misread the # of docs, edited

Okay. So this bit, then:

> In a statement to Axios, Google said Mitchell's email account had been locked pending an internal probe into her downloading of a large number of files and sharing them with people outside the company.

Edit: I'm guessing the string "levandowski" was used at least once in the code responsible for detecting this.

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#6

Post by whitymcwhite » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

Their job was not to make AI more ethical, but to protect Google from government regulation. Seems they fundamentally misunderstood that.

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#7

Post by jjcon » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 6:01 PM UTC

I’m no fan of google but if their ethicists are found doing unethical things they shouldn’t be immune to suspension just because they have the word ethics in their job title - they should be held to a higher standard not lower

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#8

Post by zepto » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 6:03 PM UTC

jjcon wrote: post #7

I’m no fan of google but if their ethicists are found doing unethical things they shouldn’t be immune to suspension just because they have the word ethics in their job title - they should be held to a higher standard not lower

That depends on the context. If Google is suppressing the content of the leaked documents in order to hide unethical behavior, then there is a double bind.

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#9

Post by vmception » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 6:05 PM UTC

Seems to me like the 2-year stints are a big deterrent to joining a union.

All you have to do is ignore social causes for 18 months, after an additional 6 months being team selection and other unproductive stuff, and you have an okay probability of clearing $1,000,000 during a bull market?

What would have to change for employees to be able to meaningfully change Google? The incentives just are not there.

I have heard and read about a concept in Germany where a labor union is part of the board in large companies. That seems like a possible solution in America that nobody seems inspired enough to consider.

Re: Google suspends second AI ethics researcher: union

#10

Post by itsdrewmiller » Thu, Jan 21, 2021, 6:38 PM UTC

vmception wrote: post #9

Seems to me like the 2-year stints are a big deterrent to joining a union. All you have to do is ignore social causes for 18 months, after an additional 6 months being team selection and other unproductive stuff, and you have an okay probability of clearing $1,000,000 during a bull market? What would have to change for employees to be able to meaningfully change Google? The incentives just are not there. I have heard…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has proposed legislation to that effect: https://www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17683022/elizabeth-warren-acco...