Google is still firing AI researchers due to criticism of its work. New York Times Google is understood to have fired machine learning scientist Satrajit Chatterjee in March, shortly after it refused to publish a paper Chatterjee and others wrote challenging earlier findings that computers can design certain chip components more efficiently than humans. After he and other authors expressed reservations, the scientist was reportedly allowed to collaborate on a paper contesting the claims, but it was rejected after the resolution committee rejected the paper, and the researchers wanted to bring the issue to the chief Executive Sundar Pichai and Alphabet’s board of directors.
The company did not elaborate on the reasons for firing Chatterjee, but told era He was “terminated with cause”. It also insisted that the original paper had been “thoroughly reviewed” and peer-reviewed and that research challenging those claims “did not meet our standards”.
Whether the science is true or not, the exit highlights the ongoing conflict between Google’s management and the AI team that drives many of its projects. The problems really started when Google fired ethicist Timnit Gebru in 2020 after a controversy over a paper, and two others followed suit. Things escalated when the internet giant fired Margaret Mitchell in early 2021. While Google claimed that Mitchell violated data privacy policies, she also publicly criticized executives and the decision to fire Gebru. Those firings have led senior engineers to leave the company and demand reforms, and that doesn’t include company-wide protests over military contracts. Google investigated Gebru’s firing and promised changes, but Chatterjee’s firing may not ease tensions.
It’s no secret that Google is proud of its AI research. It is keen to tout algorithms that can outperform humans in areas like chip design and cancer detection, and its flagship Pixel 6 phone is built around a custom AI-focused processor. Any flaw could seriously hinder Google’s business, not to mention damage its reputation as a leader in AI development.
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