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But in this scenario, shielding Google from liability is actually a primary concern given that Timnit is discussing ethics/bias. A paper on say novel transforme
by eachro 6y ago
But in this scenario, shielding Google from liability is actually a primary concern given that Timnit is discussing ethics/bias. A paper on say novel transformer architecture, the lottery ticket hypothesis in a new setting, a new RL benchmark suite, etc is not going to expose Google to legal risk the way ethical AI research often can.
- aabhay 6y agoThis. I have been arguing the unpopular opinion that most AI ethics work in corporate settings is not designed to empower real research. It was a matter of time before an actual researcher with an ethical compass was removed unceremoniously. Anyone in an AI ethics team at a large company — you need to know exactly what your job means to the company, because it isn’t safe.
- oh_sigh 6y agoHow would publishing a paper open a 3rd party up to legal risk? Research papers aren't laws, and it is chronologically impossible for a research paper to influence already on the book laws.
- eachro 6y agoI can imagine a scenario where a politician who wants to pick a fight with Google uses some of the unflattering findings in the published work as supporting material for why Google needs to be regulated/fined/etc: "Google does {bad thing}. Look at this research report from Google researchers! They admit to doing {bad thing}!"
- oh_sigh 6y agoThat would be a future act, not making previous acts illegal ex post facto.
- btilly 6y agoA paper from Google saying that Google knows that its systems discriminate against minority groups can open Google up to liability for a class action lawsuit from said minority groups against Google. And the fact that Google knows increases the damages that they can look for. The same paper from outside of Google also creates liability, but now the argument for increased damages becomes about whether Google knew.
- oh_sigh 6y agoThat would be more of a journalistic paper than a research paper then. Timnit's research, at least in the past, is along the lines of "Hey, this <thing you thought benign> is not actually benign"
- headsupftw 6y agoThen what's the point of hiring her and people like her to work for Google in the first place? So that Google could claim that they have Ethical AI researchers and Google's AI research is indeed ethical?
- KittenInABox 6y agoYes.
- marcinzm 6y agoOf course, it's like going from the government to a lobbying firm. Everyone knows why you're there and why you're getting paid to be there.