What Next: TBD

Was This Google Ethicist Fired for Doing Her Job?

A leader in the field of ethical A.I. was abruptly let go by the search giant.

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Episode Notes

Recently, one of the world’s leading A.I. ethics researchers, Timnit Gebru, left Google. Google says she resigned. Timnit says she was fired. In the days since, Timnit’s departure has turned into a public relations crisis for the search giant, prompting its CEO to issue a public apology.

What happened behind the scenes at Google that led to Timnit’s dismissal?

Guest: Timnit Gebru, A.I. ethics researcher and co-founder of Black in AI.

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About the Show

Every Friday, Slate’s popular daily news podcast What Next brings you TBD, a clear-eyed look into the future. From fake news to fake meat, algorithms to augmented reality, Lizzie O’Leary is your guide to the tech industry and the world it’s creating for us to live in.

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  • Lizzie O’Leary is the host of What Next: TBD, Slate’s show about technology, power, and the future. Previously, she created and hosted Marketplace Weekend. She has reported for CNN, Bloomberg News, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. She is also a contributing writer at the Atlantic.