Google cancels AI Ethics board one week after forming it
As Artificial Intelligence can open both good and bad possibilities, Google had established an ethics board to oversee its AI development and ensure that its technologies aren't misused. But now, the board won't be able to do its work, because it has officially been dissolved. Yes, just a week after forming the council, the tech giant has pulled the plug on it. Here's why.
AI Ethics board faced flak for member selection
Since the day the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC) was formed, Google started facing flak for the choice of its members - both from within and outside the company. The board had experts from fields like AI, philosophy, psychology, and robotics but also had some from the policy background, including Kay Coles James who has long been a strong critic of LGBTQ rights.
Problem with the inclusion of James
According to Vox, the inclusion of James triggered a wave of backlash from Google employees. They even penned a letter calling for her removal and noting that modern-day machine learning systems can have flaws affecting trans, immigrants, and people of non-white background. As such, James, who has vocally expressed anti-trans and anti-immigrant views, doesn't make an ideal candidate for guiding/overseeing Google's AI work.
Here's what the employees said in the letter
"Not only are James' views counter to Google's stated values, but they're directly counter to the project of ensuring that the development and application of AI prioritizes justice over profit. Such a project should instead place representatives from vulnerable communities at the center of decision-making."
Other member inclusion that triggered backlash
It was also the inclusion of Trumbull Unmanned founder Dyan Gibbens that triggered the backlash. As Trumbull Unmanned operates drones in the government sector, many raised concerns over the possibility of Google's AI in military tech. Last year, Google had faced flak for using its AI for a Pentagon drone project, but since then, the company has pledged to never develop AI weaponry.
Either way, the board has now been dissolved
For now, Google has dissolved the board and put all concerns at rest. "It's become clear that in the current environment, ATEAC can't function as we wanted. So we're ending the council and going back to the drawing board," a company spokesperson said. The representative said they'll handle AI-related developments and issues responsibly and "find different ways of getting outside opinions on these topics."
