Google’s Margaret Mitchell Has Been Fired | Hacker News Reader

Google’s Margaret Mitchell Has Been Fired

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104 pointsjbegley12 comments

Comments moved to https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26199410, except the one that only makes sense in this context.

The OP was posted earlier, but that one has the more substantive article. I don't know what the fairest thing to do in that case is, so usually just wing it.

Who? The name drop in the title implies we should know who a seemingly random Google employee is/was. And I actually followed the original story of the ethical ai researcher getting fired.

There's no info in the tweet other than "I'm fired". Is there reason to believe this was an unfair firing?

She was Google's other AI ethics lead. There were two (the other was Timnit Gebru), now there aren't any, I guess.

They are re-organizing the team. Presumably under someone else who will say and do what Leadership wants.

Source: https://twitter.com/NicoAGrant/status/1362270504384487424

Hopefully under somebody who doesn't constantly reinforce a victim mentality in minority groups which does nothing to actually help fix the problem but only makes it worse.

From all the Twitter evidence, I support Google's decision here.

Are they legally required to hire a independent research? They are doing this for PR, so I expect their guy to say positive things (like, hey!, Google fixed things).

There are circumstances where companies are required to hire people who could reveal bad things (ie: certified accounting auditors). But to hire someone outside of the legal requirements means they are a propaganda machine for the company. That's fair, if it's important, it's the government who should step up.

Someone is getting a reality check.

> Presumably under someone else who will say and do what Leadership wants.

Or maybe under someone else who doesn't exfiltrate thousands of company's internal documents

The bio still mentions the position:

> Founder/Lead, Google Ethical AI team; Interdisciplinary researcher focused on shaping AI towards long-term positive goals.

The pinned tweet from Feb 6:

> I am concerned about @timnitGebru 's firing from Google and its relationship to sexism and discrimination. I wanted to share the email I wrote to Google press the day my access was cut off.

No reason to speculate without more details. I'm sure if it was unfair we'll get a follow-up (from her).

There is unfair == against current employment law and norms.

There is unfair == legal but retaliatory.

There is unfair == legal, not retaliatory but stupid.

Are you a reductionist, arguing

There is no evidence this is unfair

because to me, strict evidence aside,the causal chain as told in public strongly suggests its retaliatory,and, due to underlying issues which go to academic view of freedom and peer support

Or are you just unwilling to accept this could be legal, but unfair and stupid?

Nobody really knows is often better said as "this is speculative" if you don't like speculative statements, fine too. I love 'em. I'm not assuming this is unfair dismissal but it sure as hell looks retributive.

The supporting articles state that she potentially emailed thousands of internal Google documents to external email accounts. That is clearly cause for firing, and potential legal action against her.

Yes. I said elsewhere, I'm pretty sure they have no legal fear regarding termination.

you mean apart from her twitter bio next to that tweet (or a tap away, depending on how you access twitter) stating:

"Founder/Lead, Google Ethical AI team; Interdisciplinary researcher focused on shaping AI towards long-term positive goals. Opinions my own."

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