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> I found this to be disappointing. More concerned about their brand image than trying to push robotics research forward. This is a director of communications
by sirclueless 11y ago
> I found this to be disappointing. More concerned about their brand image than trying to push robotics research forward.
This is a director of communications we are talking about. Literally the beginning, middle, and end of her job description is "Consider our brand image." If she sounds overly concerned about Google X's brand image, that's because it's her job. Google pays her so that the rest of their employees don't have to be so concerned.
Basically every company on the planet with more than 20 people in it has someone making strategic decisions like this. The only difference here is we have a whistleblower reporting what she says internally. There's just about zero to learn about Google's priorities from her priorities, except that none of her immediate superiors is banging the drum for a PR battle over DoD robots.
- Retra 11y agoI guess it's her job then to know that this kind of attitude is disappointing, isn't it?
- sirclueless 11y agoThis wasn't a public statement. It was an email to colleagues. "Let's not comment" is, I think, the default position of PR departments everywhere on everything unless there is a crisis or a marketing campaign going on. Throwing fuel on a fire isn't wise unless you want there to be a fire.