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Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

vice.com

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Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#51

Post by rhexs »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #19
mgraczyk wrote: post #9

In the article they use the example of "Motherboard" and "Landlord" and seem to suggest that these are areas where the Google AI is making mistakes or being overly strict. As a Google employee expressing my own opinion and observations of company culture, I can say that these are 100% not mistakes. Many Google employees are just so out of touch with the real world that they believe it is the duty of Google Docs to ch…

This attempt at "de-offensive-izing" all language has the effect of turning clear, evocative phrases to mush. George Carlin's skit couldn't be more timely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isMm2vF4uFs

It's a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#52

Post by Barrin92 »

> A transcribed interview of neo-Nazi and former Klan leader David Duke—in which he uses the N-word and talks about hunting Black people—gets no notes. Radical feminist Valerie Solanas’ SCUM Manifesto gets more edits than Duke’s tirade; she should use “police officers” instead of “policemen,”

The intentions of these features aside which will no doubt be the topic of conversation, to me the biggest takeaway about this is just how entirely stupid AI still is. Failing to recognize context, wordplay, even names (suggesting alternatives to Motherboard), and so forth. Trying to adjust something as complex as 'inclusivity' by flipping words is like trying to change the tone of a poem by flipping individual letters. Entirely wrong level of abstraction.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#53

Post by ironSkillet »

john_moscow wrote: post #6

Well, such things are always driven by demand. And unfortunately, there is a strong demand in our society for policing words, renaming formulas and issuing apologies all while: * Property ownership is becoming out of question for an increasing fraction of Americans * Any kid of retirement (as in not having to work and enjoying life off your savings) has become a pipe dream * Having a single-income family with one par…

What I don't understand is, where is this perceived demand coming from? I think it is an extremely small minority that happens to be extremely loud on social media and in corporate circles, so the perception of how important this issue is has become grossly exaggerated. I don't think this is purposeful malice on anyone's part, I think it is just a product of social media amplification and the elites desire to constantly virtue signal to each other that has led to this absurd loop in our culture.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#54

Post by kache_ »

BitwiseFool wrote: post #38
kache_ wrote: post #22

I've been privy to people trying to ban words like "whitelabel" at my company. Thankfully, management & executives at my company never stood for that BS so I still get to use whitelist & blacklist in documentation, and don't worry about those non-issues get in the way of me actually doing work. Google might be too far gone, and working with those people would be so exhausting that it's actually stopped me from applyi…

>"My advice? Hit them where it hurts & vote with your feet. Google's not the top payer anymore, so just leave. " In principle I agree but I feel like level headed folks choosing to leave only makes the echo chamber even worse. And sadly, I don't think Google as a company will suffer much of a downside because they're so big.

I unfortunately have a mortgage and can't live with the stress of the fear of being fired for some esoteric internet community I've joined. I've heard through the grapevines of people starting slack mob witch hunts over people who've used terms like "Fren" because of its very slight relationship with 4chan.

I like the security of not working with unchecked witch hunts . I don't want to be Damore'd because of words I use outside of work.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#55

Post by dekhn »

Kylekramer wrote: post #18

This is an article nearly entirely built around a viral Tweet regarding "landlord" cause Vice writers live in a strange world where that is essentially a slur they want to use, and then found two edge cases to make it an "article".

Please, explain your thinking in more detail.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#56

Post by gorwell »

mgraczyk wrote: post #9

In the article they use the example of "Motherboard" and "Landlord" and seem to suggest that these are areas where the Google AI is making mistakes or being overly strict. As a Google employee expressing my own opinion and observations of company culture, I can say that these are 100% not mistakes. Many Google employees are just so out of touch with the real world that they believe it is the duty of Google Docs to ch…

I can't imagine most employees agree with this. Why aren't they pushing back?

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#57

Post by dekhn »

kache_ wrote: post #54
BitwiseFool wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>"My advice? Hit them where it hurts & vote with your feet. Google's not the top payer anymore, so just leave. " In principle I agree but I feel like level headed folks choosing to leave only makes the echo chamber even worse. And sadly, I don't think Google as a company will suffer much of a downside because they're so big.

I unfortunately have a mortgage and can't live with the stress of the fear of being fired for some esoteric internet community I've joined. I've heard through the grapevines of people starting slack mob witch hunts over people who've used terms like "Fren" because of its very slight relationship with 4chan. I like the security of not working with unchecked witch hunts . I don't want to be Damore'd because of words I…

"I owe money and need to make money to pay it off, so I'm too afraid to say even reasonable things in public". Sounds like you have 3 problems.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#58

Post by powerslacker »

dolni wrote: post #10
john_moscow wrote: post #6

Well, such things are always driven by demand. And unfortunately, there is a strong demand in our society for policing words, renaming formulas and issuing apologies all while: * Property ownership is becoming out of question for an increasing fraction of Americans * Any kid of retirement (as in not having to work and enjoying life off your savings) has become a pipe dream * Having a single-income family with one par…

The elites of America use "inclusivity" and race as bait to distract from the very issues you describe. Notice how we, as a society, spent relatively little time discussing the 2008 Mortgage Crisis and Occupy Wall Street. Meanwhile news outlets have been beating the "inclusivity" / race / gender drum for _years_. Time to wake up, folks.

Pretty interesting that there are people who legitimately believe the megacorps are 'the good guys' because of stunts like this.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#59

Post by Kylekramer »

dekhn wrote: post #55
Kylekramer wrote: post #18

This is an article nearly entirely built around a viral Tweet regarding "landlord" cause Vice writers live in a strange world where that is essentially a slur they want to use, and then found two edge cases to make it an "article".

Please, explain your thinking in more detail.

I object to "articles" that are essentially just popular tweets puffed up. Don't think that is good journalism and don't think it needs much more detail.

Re: Google’s AI-powered ‘inclusive warnings’ feature is very broken

#60

Post by gfodor »

krastanov wrote: post #23
mgraczyk wrote: post #9

In the article they use the example of "Motherboard" and "Landlord" and seem to suggest that these are areas where the Google AI is making mistakes or being overly strict. As a Google employee expressing my own opinion and observations of company culture, I can say that these are 100% not mistakes. Many Google employees are just so out of touch with the real world that they believe it is the duty of Google Docs to ch…

I am incredulous at the "mother" to "birthing person" requirement. I have seen one or two people with such prescriptive views on language but the vast majority of people I know consider it ridiculous. And I am in an incredibly "woke" social bubble.

The point is previous things you thought were ridiculous were normalized, in a very deliberate process. So to it will go with "mother", if the past is any indication. However, it may not be, because people are (ironically) waking up to this.
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