Black and Queer AI Groups Say They’ll Spurn Google Funding

In a joint statement released Monday, Black in AI, Queer in AI, and Widening NLP stated they acted to protest Googles treatment of its previous ethical AI group leaders Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, as well as former employer April Christina Curley, a Black queer lady.”In the statement, the groups back calls made in March by current and previous Google workers for academic conferences to decline Google financing and for policymakers to enact more powerful whistleblower protections for AI researchers.This is the very first time in the brief history of each of the three organizations that they have actually turned down funding from a sponsor.Mondays statement marks the newest fallout in reaction to Googles treatment of Black individuals and ladies and accusations of disturbance in research documents about AI slated for publication at scholastic conferences.In March, organizers of the Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) conference turned down Google funding, and scientist Luke Stark turned down $60,000 in Google financing.”Black in AI cofounder Rediet Abebe, who will become the very first Black lady faculty member at the University of California Berkeleys department of electrical engineering and computer system science, committed last year to not taking cash from Google to lessen the businesss sway over AI research.

In a joint declaration released Monday, Black in AI, Queer in AI, and Widening NLP stated they acted to protest Googles treatment of its previous ethical AI team leaders Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, as well as former recruiter April Christina Curley, a Black queer lady.”In the statement, the groups endorse calls made in March by former and present Google staff members for scholastic conferences to decline Google financing and for policymakers to enact stronger whistleblower securities for AI researchers.This is the first time in the short history of each of the 3 organizations that they have actually turned down financing from a sponsor.Mondays statement marks the latest fallout in reaction to Googles treatment of Black individuals and ladies and accusations of interference in research study papers about AI slated for publication at scholastic conferences.In March, organizers of the Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) conference turned down Google financing, and researcher Luke Stark turned down $60,000 in Google financing.”Black in AI cofounder Rediet Abebe, who will end up being the first Black female professors member at the University of California Berkeleys department of electrical engineering and computer system science, dedicated last year to not taking money from Google to decrease the businesss sway over AI research.