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

In a joint declaration launched Monday, Black in AI, Queer in AI, and Widening NLP said they acted to oppose Googles treatment of its previous ethical AI team leaders Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, as well as previous employer April Christina Curley, a Black queer lady.”In the declaration, the groups back calls made in March by previous and existing Google workers for scholastic conferences to turn down Google financing and for policymakers to enact more powerful whistleblower defenses for AI researchers.This is the very first time in the short history of each of the 3 companies that they have actually turned down financing from a sponsor.Mondays announcement marks the latest fallout in reaction to Googles treatment of Black people and females and allegations of disturbance in research documents about AI slated for publication at academic 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 funding.”Black in AI cofounder Rediet Abebe, who will become the very first Black professors member at University of California Berkeleys department of electrical engineering and computer science, dedicated last year to not taking cash from Google to diminish the businesss sway over AI research.

In a joint declaration launched Monday, Black in AI, Queer in AI, and Widening NLP stated they acted to oppose Googles treatment of its previous ethical AI group leaders Timnit Gebru and Margaret Mitchell, as well as previous recruiter April Christina Curley, a Black queer female.”In the statement, the groups back calls made in March by current and previous Google staff members for scholastic 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 short history of each of the 3 organizations that they have actually turned down financing from a sponsor.Mondays statement marks the newest fallout in reaction to Googles treatment of Black individuals and women and allegations of interference in research papers about AI slated for publication at academic conferences.In March, organizers of the Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT) conference turned down Google funding, and researcher Luke Stark turned down $60,000 in Google financing.”Black in AI cofounder Rediet Abebe, who will become the very first Black professors member at University of California Berkeleys department of electrical engineering and computer system science, committed last year to not taking cash from Google to decrease the businesss sway over AI research.