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Google’s ethical AI Researchers Complained of Harassment

Google’s AI leadership came under scrutiny when the star ethics researcher Timnit Gebru was allegedly fired from the company. He was working on a classified project about the dangers of large language models. Now, reports have surfaced across the media acknowledging that the turmoil began well before her termination- and includes allegations of bias and sexual harassment.

Shortly after Gebru arrived at Google’s in 2018, she informed her boss that a colleague had been accused of sexual harassment at another organization. Katherine Heller, a Google’s researcher condemned the same incident that happened at the company and included reports of inappropriate touching. Although Google’s opened the investigations immediately to find out the identity of the man alleged in the reports, it has not been disseminated yet. The news sparked outrage at Google’s, and 20,000 employees walked out of work to protest the company’s handling of sexual harassment.

The matter was consolidated to AI Chief Jeff Dean with a litany of concerns, and the respondents weren’t adhered to solve the matter, which rose doubts within the AI researchers. Some women were given less dignified roles in the company than men, despite having better qualifications. Margaret Mitchell, who was in a secured position at the Google’s AI team, said that she had been denied a promotion due to nebulous complaints to HR about her personality.

The allegations went on further disseminating the values of respect and equal recognition, and more cases were filed by the end of 2020 about sexual harassment and unequal treatment. A meeting of senior officials got conducted and Dean announced the alleged harasser at the helm to be sued for Google’s undertakings After the man was fired, he threatened to sue Google’s. The legal team told employees who’d spoken out about his conduct that they might hear from the man’s lawyers. The company was “vague” about whether it would defend the whistleblowers.

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