Google is investigating artificial intelligence researcher Margaret Mitchell, who is co-leader of the company’s Ethical AI team, and has closed her corporate account. Axios reports. The news comes just over a month after another leading AI ethicist, Timnit Gebru, said she was fired by the company. Mitchell’s account was reportedly closed ‘for at least a few days’, but according to a tweet from Gebru, she was not fired. Mitchell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement issued to Axios, Google said it was investigating Mitchell after its systems detected that an account ‘filtered thousands of files and shared them with multiple external accounts’. According to a Axios Mitchell used a text to go through her messages and find examples of discriminatory treatment of Gebru. Last week, Mitchell tweeted saying she was documenting “Current critical issues of [Gebru’s] shooting, point by point, inside and outside work.”
Not after midnight. Hit ten pages that address the current critical issues of @timnitGebru s firing, point by point, inside and outside work. For Jeff Dean and whoever may read it (no one?). Undoubtedly remember when I did research earlier.
– MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) 15 January 2021
Google has said that its security systems automatically close accounts for corporate employees “when they find out that the account is in danger due to faith issues or as an automated rule involving the handling of sensitive data.”
“We explained this to the employee earlier today,” Google said. “We are actively investigating this matter as part of standard procedures to gather additional details.”
Mitchell has previously tweeted in support of Gebru and has been critical of Google and other major technology companies for their approaches to diversity and systematic prejudice. Yesterday she tweeted to criticize Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, regarding workplace diversity.
Google was heavily criticized after Gebru left the company. Bloomberg reports that thousands of internal employees and external academics and campaigners have signed a petition in support of the AI researcher. The company has been constantly criticized for its work on Project Maven, an AI project designed to improve military drones. Opposition to the project was cited as the main reason when Google employees announced plans to unite earlier this year.