Apple Hires AI Researcher Who Quit Google During Ethics Scandal Stephanie Keith/Getty
4 May 2021
Apple has reportedly hired a former Google AI veteran who quit the company amidst a scandal over the company’s firing of two female AI ethics researchers.
Engadget reports that Google AI veteran Samy Bengio has joined Apple after quitting Google in protest of the company’s treatment of two female AI ethics researchers. Bengio will reportedly lead a new AI research unit at Apple where he will join multiple former Google employees and Apple’s current VP of machine learning and AI strategy, John Giannandrea.
Google suffered a new blow in its AI research office after it was reported that its manager, Samy Bengio, has resigned from his post. His resignation was revealed after the media saw his email earlier this week.
As per Reuters, Bengio decided to quit amid the firings and departures in the office. Those who were previously dismissed were said to have questioned Google’s diversity practices and paper review.
The AI research manager’s email
In the email announcing his resignation from Google, Bengio mentioned that he would be staying with the company only until April 28. Although the reports suggest he quit as his co-workers were being dismissed, in the email, he said that he decided to leave to pursue other exciting opportunities.
Whistleblower protections: Alphabet shareholder wants policy review
By IANS |
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Google.. Image Source: IANS News
San Francisco, April 7 : Google s abrupt firing of prominent Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethics researcher Timnit Gebru late last year and reports of the company sacking more employees later has now led an Alphabet shareholder to push for adoption of policies for better whistleblower protections.
Trillium Asset Management has filed a shareholder resolution asking the board of directors for review of current policies by a third party, The Verge reported on Tuesday. Reporting suggests that many Google employees who have resigned or been fired . publicly report retaliation after voicing human rights implications of company practices, including systemic workplace racism and sexism, the resolution reads.
Google Advised Mental Health Care by Angela Mohan on March 11, 2021 at 9:21 AM
Google advised its employees to go for mental health counselling or apply leave when they complained about racism or sexual harassment at workplace, the media reported.
According to NBC News, Google s human resources (HR) department encouraged them to take mental health leave, even when their complaints were unrelated to such concerns. They consulted human resources after colleagues made comments about their skin colour or Black hairstyles or asked if they were sexually interested in their teammates. They also contacted human resources to report retaliation after protesting sexual harassment issues and to advocate for raises for Black people to match white employees pay, the report said on Sunday.