Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Google Artificial Intelligence Chief Apologises For Firing Black Woman Employee

Google Artificial Intelligence Chief Apologises For Firing Black Woman Employee

Sundar Pichai, the chief executive officer of parent company Alphabet Inc., described the changes in an email to employees, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information.
Google will start grading executives based on workforce diversity goals and increase human resources staffing, acknowledging fault in its acrimonious split with Timnit Gebru, a prominent former employee and one of the few Black women in the field of artificial intelligence.

Sundar Pichai, the chief executive officer of parent company Alphabet Inc., described the changes in an email to employees, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information. The email included comments by Jeff Dean, the executive who leads the company's artificial intelligence and research efforts, saying he was sorry for how he handled Gebru's exit, according to a copy of the message reviewed by Bloomberg.

"I understand we could have and should have handled the situation with more sensitivity," Dean wrote. "And for that, I am sorry," Dean said Google's behavior toward Gebru hurt some female and Black employees and led them to question whether they belonged at the company. He did not apologize directly to Gebru in the email to staff.

Executives' performance evaluations will now be partly tied to diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and Google will double the amount of human resources staff working on employee retention, according to the memo.

A spokesman for Google declined to comment. The changes were reported earlier Friday by news website Axios.

Several large companies have made diversity a factor in executive performance and compensation. They include McDonald's Corp. and Microsoft Corp.

At Google, the changes came after turmoil stemming from Gebru's departure. She said she was fired in December after refusing to retract a research paper critical of a key Google technology or remove the Google authors from it. Google has said that Gebru, the former co-head of ethical AI, resigned. Still, former colleagues expressed outrage over the company's handling of the matter.

On Thursday, the company appointed Marian Croak as vice president of engineering, elevating an experienced Black woman to lead a new, centralized organization to develop AI responsibly. The further changes outlined Friday marked the conclusion of an internal investigation into the handling of Gebru's departure.

Dean also detailed a plan to clarify the process for approving research papers by Google authors for outside publication. The current process has too many intersecting parts, particularly for "sensitive" research, he said, and what's considered sensitive isn't always clear.

"We're building a more unified, start-to-finish process with clearer guidance along the way on what steps are needed, who is accountable at each step and Google's research goals and priorities," Dean wrote.

Dean did not address the questions raised by the Gebru example as to whether Google's AI ethics team will be allowed to critically examine the very technologies the search and advertising giant uses in its commercial products.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×