In Support of Dr. Timnit Gebru

Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR)

Dr. TImnit Gebru, a widely respected leader in AI ethics research, was fired from her position as technical co-lead of Google's Ethical Artificial Intelligence Team on December 2. Dr. Gebru helped pioneer research into facial recognition software’s bias against people of color and spearheaded research in assessing AI fairness and risks at Google. The firing was precipitated by a paper on ethical risks of large language models, but issues are bigger. Here is LA Tech4Good’s statement:

We stand in support of Dr. Timnit Gebru, whose work toward a more ethical, accountable, and responsible approach to artificial intelligence is being undermined by corporate silencing of her research and advocacy. We support Dr. Gebru because we know that AI technology is a powerful tool that, when developed in environments that are not inclusive and do not prioritize the needs of marginalized groups, can cause significant and disproportionate harm. Her research on the ethical implications of language-processing AI and her advocacy for true accountability instead of corporate platitudes should be elevated, not shut down.

We encourage you to sign the Google Walkout statement, sign the Black women in civil society statement, and engage on Twitter (you can find Dr. Gebru here) and social media with hashtags #ISupportTimnit and #BelieveBlackWomen.