Opinion: Timnit Gebru’s Exit From Google Exposes a Crisis in AI
The situation has made clear that the field needs to change. Here’s where to start, according to a current and a former Googler.
Hasnain says:
“This crisis makes clear that the current AI research ecosystem—constrained as it is by corporate influence and dominated by a privileged set of researchers—is not capable of asking and answering the questions most important to those who bear the harms of AI systems. Public-minded research and knowledge creation isn’t just important for its own sake, it provides essential information for those developing robust strategies for the democratic oversight and governance of AI, and for social movements that can push back on harmful tech and those who wield it. Supporting and protecting organized tech workers, expanding the field that examines AI, and nurturing well-resourced and inclusive research environments outside the shadow of corporate influence are essential steps in providing the space to address these urgent concerns.”
Posted on 2020-12-31T17:17:12+0000