When she co-led Google’s Ethical AI team, Timnit Gebru was a prominent insider voice questioning the tech industry’s approach to artificial intelligence. That was before Google pushed her out of the company more than a year ago. Now Gebru is trying to make change from the outside as the founder of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, or DAIR. Born to Eritrean parents in Ethiopia, Gebru spoke with The Associated Press recently about how poorly Big Tech’s AI… Source link
Read More »Ex-Google scientist Gebru opens AI institute year after tumultuous exit
Dec 2 (Reuters) – Timnit Gebru, the computer scientist whose disputed exit from Google’s (GOOGL.O) artificial intelligence research team prompted debate across the tech industry about diversity and censorship, said on Thursday she has launched a small lab to continue her work freely. The Distributed AI Research Institute has raised $3.7 million from foundations and aims to critically study services from big tech companies as well as propose AI-based solutions to issues such as food insecurity… Source link
Read More »Ex-Google workers sue company, saying it betrayed ‘Don’t Be Evil’ motto : NPR
Google employees fill Harry Bridges Plaza in front of the Ferry Building during a walkout Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018, in San Francisco. Eric Risberg/AP hide caption toggle caption … Source link
Read More »Ex-Google workers sue company, saying it betrayed ‘Don’t Be Evil’ motto
Three former Google employees have sued the company, alleging that Google’s motto “Don’t be evil” amounts to a contractual obligation that the tech giant has violated. At the time the company hired the three software engineers, Rebecca Rivers, Sophie Waldman and Paul Duke, they signed conduct rules that included a “Don’t be evil” provision, according to the suit. The trio say they thought they were behaving in accordance with that principle when… Source link
Read More »AI navigation startup Phiar lands ex-Google manager, funding from Telenav
Sept 27 (Reuters) – Phiar, a startup aiming to enhance in-car navigation systems by overlaying directions on real-time video, announced on Monday that Google’s head of Android automotive platforms joined as chief executive and State Farm Ventures led a $12 million funding round. Incoming CEO Gene Karshenboym said other new investors include mapping company Telenav, which was taken private by its co-founder in February, and SoftBank Vision Fund-backed driving analytics app developer Cambridge… Source link
Read More »Ex-Google exec describes 4 top dangers of artificial intelligence
California’s Senate last week advanced a bill that would force Amazon (AMZN) to reveal details behind the productivity-tracking algorithm used in its warehouses; meanwhile, Facebook (FB) this week faced criticism over a Wall Street Journal report finding it knows its Instagram feed makes some teenage girls feel worse about themselves. These developments make up a backlash not necessarily against big tech, so much as its algorithms, which use artificial intelligence (AI) to adapt performance… Source link
Read More »West shouldn’t misinterpret Beijing’s regulations: ex-Google China exec
Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures. Lino Mirgeler | Picture Alliance | Getty Images The former president of Google China warned that the West should be careful not to overstate or misinterpret the recently introduced regulations by Beijing that have hurt the likes of Alibaba, Tencent and Didi. Kai-Fu Lee, who now invests in Chinese start-ups through his venture capital firm Sinovation Ventures, told CNBC Tuesday that China is merely regulating a handful of large internet companies to ensure… Source link
Read More »Sridhar Ramaswamy, ex-Google, building ads-free search engine Neeva
Google’s senior vice president of advertising and commerce Sridhar Ramaswamy Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg | Getty Images The following Is a transcript of Big Technology Podcast, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your app of choice. Sridhar Ramaswamy is CEO of Neeva, an ads-free search engine he helped found after running Google’s ads and commerce business. Ramaswamy spent seventeen years inside Google, and eventually grew… Source link
Read More »Ex-Google Engineer Alleges Harassment and Retaliation: NYT Op-Ed
Ex-Google engineer Emi Nietfeld said she endured harassment and retaliation while working there. In an op-ed for The New York Times, she said Google’s response led her to vow to “never love a job again.” Multiple current and former Googlers have accused the company of discrimination. See more stories on Insider’s business page. Workers… Source link
Read More »Ex-Google Policy Lead Founds Tech-Friendly Progressive Group
(Bloomberg) — A new technology industry group led by the former head of U.S. public policy at Alphabet Inc.’s Google is looking to remind Democrats that technology companies are on their side when it comes to progressive priorities like voting rights, fighting climate change and reducing income inequality. Adam Kovacevich, who most recently led government relations for electric scooter company Lime, launched the Chamber of Progress on Monday to promote “a progressive high-tech society,… Source link
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