Timnit Gebru, a former AI researcher at Google, is one of the few Black women in the field. |
David Baker, a director focused on user safety, left Google
last month after 16 years because Gebru's exit "extinguished my desire to
continue as a Googler," he said in a letter seen by Reuters. Baker added,
"We cannot say we believe in diversity, and then ignore the conspicuous
absence of many voices from within our walls."
Software engineer Vinesh Kannan said Wednesday on Twitter
that he had left the company on Tuesday because Google mistreated Gebru and
April Christina Curley, a recruiter who has said she was wrongly fired last
year. Both Gebru and Curley identify as Black.
"They were wronged," Kannan said.
Google declined to comment, but pointed to previous
statements that it is looking to restore employees' trust after Gebru's
departure and that it disputes Curley's accusation.
The resignations come as workers have demanded commitments
to academic freedom and management change in Google's research organization.
More than 800 people joined a union announced last month to advance workplace protections,
and more than 2,600 of its 135,000 employees signed a December letter
supporting Gebru.
Baker, whose resignation letter was shared with an internal
affinity group for Black employees, told Reuters he stood by his remarks.
Kannan did not have an immediate comment.
Gebru, who co-led a team on AI ethics, says she pushed back
on orders to pull research that speech technology like Google's could
disadvantage marginalized groups. Reuters reported in December that Google had
told some staff not to cast its technology in a negative light.
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