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- 135,000 Google employees - 2,000 signed a petition to support Timnit [1] - 2 employees resigned to support Timnit [2] When it comes to voting with your fee

- 135,000 Google employees - 2,000 signed a petition to support Timnit [1] - 2 employees resigned to support Timnit [2] When it comes to voting with your feet, no one actually gives a shit. [1] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/04/thousands-petition-google-for-answers-on-timnit-gebru-departure.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/04/thousands-petition-google-fo... [2] https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/tech/google-employees-quit/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/tech/google-employees-quit/in...

fossuser 6y ago
I think it’s possible to care about AI ethics and not like Timnit.
MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago
This is something I feel like few people learn in life in the US. You may be morally right, but nobody ever has your back. The few that do you can probably call friends, but the many that don't will never lift a finger to help you legitimately when it matters.
- lrossi 6y ago
  I don’t see why you say US, it’s the same in any country. Nobody in their right mind is going to quit their job over this during a pandemic, when it’s already so hard to find a job. I imagine ethics jobs are not in high demand.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- maximente 6y ago
  you been out on these streets lately? lemme tell ya, you falling on your sword at this time in history without a rock-solid plan in place to keep that bread coming is going to leave you with a lot of regrets, i'll wager. there ain't a lot of companies in the world looking for "quit bc i thought the bosses gave a coworker a bad shake" on a resume, and they sure as hell ain't paying what google is.
- trashcan 6y ago
  In the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, and probably in driver's ed everywhere there is the phrase: you can be right, or dead right. And they will write on your grave that you had the right of way. Basically, is it more important to be right, or to be alive (or be employed).
andyxor 6y ago
How is Google in the wrong exactly? Gebru was fired because she gave an ultimatum to her boss threatening to resign if they don't disclose names of all reviewers who criticized her work AND blasted group emails calling for sabotage https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2kYWDXwhzYnq8ebVtuk9CqQqz7ScqxhSIxeYGrWjK0/preview?pru=AAABdlOOKBs*gTzLnuI53B2IS2BISVcgAQ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2kYWDXwhzYnq8ebVtuk9CqQ... Mitchell was fired for exfiltrating thousands of files illegally and sending to external accounts https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-lead-margaret-mitchell-after-firing-timnit-gebru/ https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
Wolfenstein98k 6y ago
The gulf between "I know what I am supposed to say" and "I truly believe in this" grows wider by the day. Rarely do people resign out of principle...but when you're claiming that your employer actively does evil and harms the least among us, and then continue to work for them, it is obvious that you are either entirely without morals OR you are saying what is socially rewarded to say, without meaning it. Neither position is good for the soul.

fossuser 6y ago

I think it’s possible to care about AI ethics and not like Timnit.

MeinBlutIstBlau 6y ago

This is something I feel like few people learn in life in the US. You may be morally right, but nobody ever has your back. The few that do you can probably call friends, but the many that don't will never lift a finger to help you legitimately when it matters.

lrossi 6y ago
I don’t see why you say US, it’s the same in any country. Nobody in their right mind is going to quit their job over this during a pandemic, when it’s already so hard to find a job. I imagine ethics jobs are not in high demand.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
maximente 6y ago
you been out on these streets lately? lemme tell ya, you falling on your sword at this time in history without a rock-solid plan in place to keep that bread coming is going to leave you with a lot of regrets, i'll wager. there ain't a lot of companies in the world looking for "quit bc i thought the bosses gave a coworker a bad shake" on a resume, and they sure as hell ain't paying what google is.
trashcan 6y ago
In the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, and probably in driver's ed everywhere there is the phrase: you can be right, or dead right. And they will write on your grave that you had the right of way. Basically, is it more important to be right, or to be alive (or be employed).

andyxor 6y ago

How is Google in the wrong exactly? Gebru was fired because she gave an ultimatum to her boss threatening to resign if they don't disclose names of all reviewers who criticized her work AND blasted group emails calling for sabotage https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2kYWDXwhzYnq8ebVtuk9CqQqz7ScqxhSIxeYGrWjK0/preview?pru=AAABdlOOKBs*gTzLnuI53B2IS2BISVcgAQ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2kYWDXwhzYnq8ebVtuk9CqQ... Mitchell was fired for exfiltrating thousands of files illegally and sending to external accounts https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-lead-margaret-mitchell-after-firing-timnit-gebru/ https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/20/google-targets-ai-ethics-...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

Wolfenstein98k 6y ago

The gulf between "I know what I am supposed to say" and "I truly believe in this" grows wider by the day. Rarely do people resign out of principle...but when you're claiming that your employer actively does evil and harms the least among us, and then continue to work for them, it is obvious that you are either entirely without morals OR you are saying what is socially rewarded to say, without meaning it. Neither position is good for the soul.