Changes: tying exec pay companywide to diversity and inclusion goals, streamlining of research publishing practices, more investments in retention and HR people to handle controversial exits.https://t.co/Xh91s3gV3y

— Ina Fried (@inafried) February 19, 2021

Timnit Gebru's former co-head of Google's Ethics #AI group says she too has been fired. https://t.co/kBRDWMgFcD via @tsimonite

— Scott Thurm (@ScottThurm) February 20, 2021

She is also planning "a critical assessment of all the AI systems that are deployed and currently being designed...to mitigate...potential harms that exist.”

Which seems like something a company serious about responsible AI would have started already https://t.co/7qQBeQa9DA

— Tom Simonite (@tsimonite) February 18, 2021

Once again, a mediocre, unremarkable, white dude in tech is enabled, instead of facing the consequences of being unable to manage his fuckin feelings

We all knew that he’d get to play the hero/victim and not the villain because y’all should know by now how to Spot The Pattern https://t.co/7iPF5dZLYr

— Kim Crayton ~ Antiracist Economist ~ She/Her ✊? (@KimCrayton1) February 19, 2021

Good luck to Marian Croak in her new job as Google's head of responsible AI. (She'll need it.)https://t.co/gjyaqMbuLm

— Pedro Domingos (@pmddomingos) February 18, 2021

The desired one. Terrorize and suppress the voices of employees from marginalized communities. https://t.co/M6so1ME96Y

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 20, 2021

I'm fired.

— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 19, 2021

I really can't think of how Google could have handled this thing worse. They've let it drag on for weeks with a drip, drip, drip of ugly headlines. In the end, they've gutted the leadership of their AI ethics team -- which is, to put it generously, worrying. https://t.co/CnbGmpESel

— Daisuke Wakabayashi (@daiwaka) February 19, 2021

Google couldn't have handled this more stupidly. (1) drag it out across weeks, (2) do the exact action to revoke access that makes clear why someone would want to preserve evidence off-corp, (3) fail entirely to rebut the intent/motive of opposing unlawful employment practice

— Liz Fong-Jones (方禮真) (@lizthegrey) February 19, 2021

"I'm sorry for how it made you feel." https://t.co/kGZu8Ri53G

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Margaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December. https://t.co/SgwQUP5lp5

— WIRED Gadget Lab (@gadgetlab) February 20, 2021

Between the lines: None of these moves seem likely to quell the continued frustration over this matter, especially within Google's Ethical AI team, members of whom says they continue to be blindsided by the company's moves.https://t.co/Xh91s3gV3y

— Ina Fried (@inafried) February 19, 2021

The village was destroyed in order to save it https://t.co/dIVLtQHEye

— Azeem Azhar (@azeem) February 19, 2021

I wish the diversity numbers would be granularly disaggregated by roles so that ppl see how bad they are when they're released.

So that they'd know just how bad they are in the research org--even worse, way worse than the rest of the company.

Hopefully no one will ask why. https://t.co/zb1n2YXjcS

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

FYI this is happening concurrently to several other tech workers at different companies. They ask for a change, something the company already markets as a thing they do ("We're diverse and inclusive!!! We pay you like a man!!!"). Then they get fired or are asked to leave. https://t.co/1U8a4rUR7k

— Florence "U4EA" Ion (@Ohthatflo) February 19, 2021

TL;DR: Jeff Dean is sorry you feel that way. https://t.co/mGmFLXpBng

— Daniel Lowd (@dlowd) February 19, 2021

This is a great example why I’ve shifted from causing a scene, on Twitter at least...we need alternative paths because this CANNOT be the default experience for the next generation of technologists from marginalized communities https://t.co/t5nyQrw5Gd

— Kim Crayton ~ Antiracist Economist ~ She/Her ✊? (@KimCrayton1) February 19, 2021

For the second time in three months, Google has fired a prominent woman researcher on ethics in artificial intelligence. Following Timnit Gebru's departure in December, Margaret Mitchell says she has been fired from the company’s AI lab, Google Brain https://t.co/br5F2mv2U0

— WIRED (@WIRED) February 20, 2021

Dean did not apologize to Gebru in the email. The memo also discusses new review processes for AI research to deal particularly with sensitive work. He does not address the issue raised by Gebru's treatment as to if Google ethics researchers can scrutinize the co's own products.

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) February 19, 2021

Seeing how @timnitGebru and @mmitchell_ai have been abused by @Google leaders, you need to ask why we trust them with our data. A culture of disregard of scientific integrity, out of this world gaslighting, misogynie, and racism... If we let it slides, we are creating a monster. https://t.co/vdzFWyIUzz

— Jonathan Mboyo Esole (@JMEsole) February 20, 2021

I’m glad you clarified that it’s an “I’m sorry how this made you feel” and then followed by this.

You know, I would bet money they had decided to fire Meg when they came up with that trash statement a month or so ago but strung her & team along thinking this is the best timing. https://t.co/kGZu8Ri53G

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 20, 2021

But writing this email and then doing what they did in the afternoon. I know they don’t give a damn as someone else said this must be some sort of record. https://t.co/KxhAhnKFmT

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 20, 2021

...And this is how I find out. I'm so glad for all the trust they've rebuilt. It seems I've been completely erased and my team taken.https://t.co/1BTGOo5Wry

— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 18, 2021

? "How can you still ask why there aren’t Black women in this industry?” @timnitGebru https://t.co/4mF2gapelU

— Nitasha Tiku (@nitashatiku) February 19, 2021

New: Google concludes investigation of its handling of @timnitGebru. Doesn't announce findings but makes a few policy changes. Margaret Mitchell still locked out of corporate email but remains google employee. New @JeffDean memo. https://t.co/vOpxfRlCMS

— Ina Fried (@inafried) February 19, 2021

Is anyone falling for the timing? While terrorizing and harassing the Ethical AI team, announce a re-org of Responsible AI with a Black woman on top?

My biggest disappointment is with Marian Croak legitimizing this. Starting with hosting Megan & Jeff's gaslighting session. https://t.co/JpdZASDtYj

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 18, 2021

Leaving aside the main issue, this whole affair is so utterly bizarre from a corporate communications perspective. What is Google trying to accomplish? Do they even know? https://t.co/HNodQ6H5UI

— Steve Canon (@stephentyrone) February 19, 2021

.@timnitGebru responding to Google concluding it’s investigation. https://t.co/DakEH1KfeM

— Ina Fried (@inafried) February 19, 2021

Google will double HR resources for retention but not double resources targeting poor judgment on the part of senior execs? https://t.co/tg3xwttinT

— Azeem Azhar (@azeem) February 19, 2021

Google fires researcher Meg Mitchell, escalating AI saga.

Read more: https://t.co/kQWZElqCSd pic.twitter.com/8LPo3memJH

— BloombergQuint (@BloombergQuint) February 20, 2021

Mitchell had been locked out of corporate e-mail since last month after what Google said was an apparent misuse of systems and a source said was her effort to search for evidence to back up claims of harassment and discrimination by @timnitGebru https://t.co/J2wa0nYVl6

— Ina Fried (@inafried) February 19, 2021

Google fired AI ethics researcher @mmitchell_ai yesterday a few hours after it was reported they internally apologized for how they fired @timnitGebru saying they "should have handled the situation with more sensitivity."
More context from @dinabass:https://t.co/BBh87DpdBS https://t.co/WWGxireOuF pic.twitter.com/CT6FgEzaI9

— Kent Bye VoicesOfVR (@kentbye) February 20, 2021

Google on a Friday evening: “Being evil is good, actually” https://t.co/IHsOqyvmzd

— Devindra Hardawar (@Devindra) February 20, 2021

Google told employees today it has wrapped up its investigation into the ouster of prominent AI researcher Timnit Gebru. The company said it is making some changes to how it handles issues around research, diversity and employee exits. https://t.co/1d5iMR0RBp

— Axios (@axios) February 19, 2021

Let me make it clear. People have been falling over themselves to recruit Meg and she will thrive, whatever she does next, wherever.

Its about how trash they are though and what they continue to do to people with IMPUNITY. https://t.co/UooGEdod6D

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

And now @mmitchell_ai has tweeted that she's been fired. So Google apologized for the impact of @timnitGebru's firing and hours later fires her former co-lead of Ethical AI research? What impact is that supposed to have on employees?

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) February 19, 2021

Here's a sentence:

"Google told employees Friday it has wrapped up its investigation into the ouster of prominent AI researcher Timnit Gebru. The company declined to say what the internal inquiry found...." https://t.co/9rEsLMxXEk

— Avi Asher-Schapiro (@AASchapiro) February 19, 2021

I expected nothing more obviously.

I write an email asking for things, I get fired, and then after a 3 month investigation, they say they should probably do some of the things I presumably got fired asking for, without holding anyone accountable for their actions. 1/ https://t.co/U2nmM07Dcm

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

It turns out the Ethical AI team was the last to know about a massive reorganization, which was prompted by our advocacy. This was not communicated with us at all, despite promises that it would be.https://t.co/tlOx8ezmuQ

— Dr. Alex Hanna (@alexhanna) February 18, 2021

The more I think of this, with the length of this so called investigation, the timing of the new re-org, what they're doing to Meg, the team etc, this whole thing was probably to stall for time to quiet down the news cycle. It took 3 months to get to this? https://t.co/KxhAhnKFmT

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Exec drafted to oversee "responsible AI" at Google in the wake of the Timnit Gebru scandal says she wants to "galvanize the unique talent we have...and consolidate them in a way that there's synergistic unification of their talents." https://t.co/HQWpZ7M1rm

— Tom Simonite (@tsimonite) February 18, 2021

To be fair, you can continue to fire women and POC and continue to apologize for how it makes people feel.

Oh oops I did that again?

I'm sorry it made you feel that way. https://t.co/BdFYFvbCme

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

You know I'm starting to think that this was probably what they had in mind from day 1. Starting with the gaslighting session of Black Googlers by Megan & Jeff hosted by Marian Croak.

I wouldn't be surprised if Kent Walker was involved in this strategy too. 1/2 https://t.co/JpdZASDtYj

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 18, 2021

They're still doing what they're doing to my team, my co-lead's been locked out for 5 weeks. They timed a re-org announcement RIGHT BEFORE this. There's no connection right?

But 3 months later they obviously can't hold anyone with any real power accountable. Thats impossible 2/

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Hey #CSed we still need to be in the loop on this.....continue to pay attention. https://t.co/nKPK7dYz20

— Shana V. White (she/her) (@ShanaVWhite) February 19, 2021

In the span of three months, Google has fired two prominent woman researchers who were investigating ethics in artificial intelligence https://t.co/IFyvGCjNCk

— WIRED (@WIRED) February 20, 2021

We have to do better job as a technology community

We cannot continue to create products/services that disproportionately harm marginalized voices by replicating society's commitment to white supremacy and anti-Blackness https://t.co/k2aWoqTE40 pic.twitter.com/xanO8AD4bW

— Kim Crayton ~ Antiracist Economist ~ She/Her ✊? (@KimCrayton1) February 19, 2021

Excellent. Once again @JeffDean does this without consulting her manager Samy Bengio.

Can't wait for the next time he talks about ethics & responsible AI.

And for Marian Croak's legacy to be this.

I have to thank all of them for getting me out of this horrible place. https://t.co/DpmNffAREO

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Google has fired Margaret Mitchell who led the ethical AI team alongside Timnit Gebru. Mitchell had been using an automated script to look through her emails & find evidence of discrimination against Gebru: https://t.co/SgtV1GkR65

— Zoë Schiffer (@ZoeSchiffer) February 19, 2021

Google continues trying to erase the problem it created when firing Timnit Gebru... by firing another AI Ethics leadhttps://t.co/Y07Lb1kdfz

— Android Central (@androidcentral) February 20, 2021

They've been working on this trust for a long time it seems.
Mind you Meg is still locked out. Our team is working on their performance reviews under this condition, after being terrorized and harassed, their lead locked out and now re-org.

And the face of it is a Black woman. https://t.co/xReMTC4Hq7

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 18, 2021

As per previous by @inafried Google's Jeff Dean has apologized for the way @timnitGebru's dismissal was handled in terms of how it made women/underrepresented groups feel and co is adding diversity goals to exec performance reviews: https://t.co/H9GoOcqlJu with @NicoAGrant

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) February 19, 2021

Google ended its investigation into the firing of @timnitGebru today, and Jeff Dean's email to staff used the word "sensitive" no less than six times as a sort of euphemism for "controversial." https://t.co/eOmxLnnEue

— Anna Kramer (@anna_c_kramer) February 19, 2021

"It led some to question their place here, which I regret." More nonapologies. They are experts on this.

Email also hints towards more research censorship. A big win for ethics (not).

I imagine many researchers will leave with other companies taking advantage. Congrats. 3/

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Google continues its crackdown on employee dissent, particularly from women. https://t.co/3hVQY2LJrx

— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) February 19, 2021

It's not really a great sign that google has fired the two people they hireds to run their AI Ethics team. https://t.co/2pKaQOlQRl

— rabble (@rabble) February 20, 2021

TFW your Friday afternoon news dump non-apology about your previous messed-up AI ethics firing gets in the way of your Friday afternoon news dump about your latest messed-up AI ethics firing https://t.co/XjWagk6mVx

— Jason Snell (@jsnell) February 19, 2021

What Terminator got wrong was that Skynet would also be a huge racist. https://t.co/YYIx1PuN7M

— Lilah Sturges - GIRL HAVEN 2/16! (@LilahSturges) February 20, 2021

In the annals of tone-deaf HR and PR moves, @JeffDean promising to do better after firing @timnitGebru then turning around and firing @mmitchell_ai THE VERY SAME DAY has got to set some sort of record.https://t.co/WPdxloTiJu pic.twitter.com/ebqVdRlvd6

— Aaron Weiss (@aweiss) February 19, 2021

"increase its staff related to employee retention." Yea? When the HR, Legal and VPs conspire to fire someone like that what would "more staff for employee retention" do? What power do they have?

There is ZERO accountability. ZERO.

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

What is going on within Google’s management re: ethics and AI is so completely fucked up.

TL;DR: after pushing out @timnitGebru it appears the company is slashing and burning the rest of the ethical AI team so it is no longer a force for ethical AI in the corporation. https://t.co/quw0mzA6De

— Mar Hicks (@histoftech) February 20, 2021

You see they fired your prior manager and said something about expectations of her "as a manager" and then locked out your other manager.

What we were doing to create a safe space for you was very unbecoming of a Google manager. This is the norm.

Also don't forget diplomacy https://t.co/JqFVDm5McF

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

"Part of the new process will include a review and outline of the kinds of research the company believes it should be conducting."

Interesting how they fire me after I ask what the parameters of the research I can do at Google are.

What they're announcing is more censorship. https://t.co/cKCzRzP8Ch

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

I will have a lot more to say about this later. But announcing a new org by a Black woman as if we’re all interchangeable while harassing, terrorizing and gaslighting my team and doing absolutely ZERO to acknowledge & redress the harm that’s been done is beyond gaslighting. https://t.co/cMtHqCte4e

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 18, 2021

The Google ethical AI research situation keeps getting messier. https://t.co/92wNWcCbgY

— James Ball (@jamesrbuk) February 20, 2021

These changes— like tying exec pay to meeting DI objectives, or staffing for retention — would never have occurred without someone like Timnit pushing as hard as she pushed. But who gets credit for these improvements? Not her, she gets fired. For the pushing. https://t.co/E5AJVwSBJq

— Shannon Vallor (@ShannonVallor) February 19, 2021

Oh no Angela its in your head. I regret how that makes you feel. Those emails you got threatening you and your spouse? I'm sorry how that made you feel too. https://t.co/9bHoTv1g8U

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Google just closed the investigation into @timnitGebru’s firing, and now her former co-lead has also been fired.

Here’s my story about Jeff Dean’s email today: https://t.co/eOmxLnnEue https://t.co/fSSBNiQMWu

— Anna Kramer (@anna_c_kramer) February 19, 2021

Breaking: Google reportedly fired Margaret Mitchell, its Ethical AI Team founder (story by @mrgreene1977) https://t.co/WjLasqN542

— TNW (@thenextweb) February 20, 2021

Breaking: Google reportedly fired Margaret Mitchell, its Ethical AI Team founder (story by @mrgreene1977) https://t.co/CmR6AmKgAN

— TNW (@thenextweb) February 19, 2021

NEW: Google fires another AI ethics leader https://t.co/Nz8zmU61VY

— Axios (@axios) February 19, 2021

Google fires another AI ethics leader https://t.co/shran0NWUF

— Jeffrey Vagle (@jvagle) February 20, 2021

Google fires Ethical AI lead Margaret Mitchell via #venturebeat #bigdata #technology https://t.co/E7W4pxxWX7

— claudîus (@dataclaudius) February 19, 2021

US employment is usually at will; either side can end. That's not the problem. But smearing someone in public while refusing to discuss the alleged violations privately is disgusting. This isn't first or last time. Collectively we have an ethics problem.https://t.co/MY723gVCbX

— Monica Cellio (@MonicaCellio) February 21, 2021