After the controversial exit of former Google Ethical AI researcher Timnit Gebru two years ago, the search engine giant reportedly lost two employees who worked under the group.

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, Dylan Baker and Alex Hanna decided to cut ties with the tech titan for a specific reason: reuniting with Gebru on his AI startup which she founded in 2021.

Google and Timnit Gebru

(Photo : Kai Wenzel from Unsplash)
Former Google AI Researchers Reportedly Leave the Company to Join Timnit Gebru's Non-Profit

According to an early report by Bloomberg, Baker and Hanna announced that they would be ending their tenure for the tech giant.

Moreover, the two employees also added that they would be following Gebru and her Distributed AI Research Institute that she built last year after she stepped down from her position in 2020.

Speaking of Gebru, the controversy sparked when she reportedly exited from the Ethical AI research crew. However, this was not the actual case according to the former employee.

Gebru published a paper about the company's plans of removing her. In fact, she said that Google indeed kicked her out of the company. This was in contrast with the firm's claims that it fired the official.

Back in February last year, many workers also left the company following a report about Google's practice of handling its employees. The incident led to the firing of Margaret Mitchell who is another co-leader for the Ethical AI research group.

Related Article: Google AI Researchers Want Timnit Gebru to Come Back at Higher Position Among Other Demands

Why Baker and Hanna Left For Good

In a report by Engadget on Wednesday, Feb. 3, Hanna departed from Google because she was already tired. In a blog on Medium, she described that the firm was not just a tech organization and insisted that it was a white tech org.

"More specifically, tech organizations are committed to defending whiteness through the 'interrelated practices, processes, actions and meanings,' the techniques of reproducing the organization. In this case, that means defending their policies of recruitment, hierarchization, and monetization," Hanna noted.

Furthermore, the post also tackled Gebru's departure which is connected to a common claim about Google AI's lead Jeff Dean.

Baker and Hanna shared that Google apparently became"less willing" to listen to the demand of the employees over the past years. They highlighted the company's activities for the Pentagon contract which discussed public objections about the staff.

In an interview with Engadget, a Google spokesperson stated that the company appreciated what Dylan and Alex did on their behalf. The tech titan representative continued that it would continue to explore its scope within the AI Principles.

Elsewhere, Tech Times reported back in May 2021 that another computer scientist who worked in Google in the past has finally landed a position at Apple. The former AI expert Samy Bengio has been reportedly assigned to lead John Giannandrea's AI research team.

As a background, Giannandrea who works as the current VP of Machine Learning and AI Strategy has also connections with Google in the past. His tenure as an AI and research chief in the company lasted for about eight years.

Read Also: Another Google AI Employee Leaves Following Two High-Profile Oustings of Researchers in His Team

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Written by Joseph Henry