Google fires Margaret Mitchell, another top researcher on its AI ethics team

Google has fired one of its top artificial intelligence researchers, Margaret Mitchell, escalating internal turmoil at the company following the departure of Timnit Gebru, another leading figure on Google’s AI ethics team.

I’m fired.

— MMitchell (@mmitchell_ai) February 19, 2021

Mitchell, who announced her firing on Twitter, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a statement to Reuters, Google said the firing followed a weeks-long investigation that found she moved electronic files outside the company. Google said Mitchell violated the company’s code of conduct and security policies.

Google’s ethics in artificial intelligence research unit has been under scrutiny since December’s dismissal of Gebru, a prominent Black researcher in Silicon Valley. Gebru’s exit prompted thousands of Google workers to protest. Mitchell and Gebru co-led the ethics in artificial intelligence team for about two years.

Meg Mitchell, lead of the Ethical AI team has been fired. She got an email to her personal email. After locking her out for 5 weeks.

There are many words I can say right now. I’m glad to know that people don’t fall for any of their bull.

To the VPs at google, I pity you.

— Timnit Gebru (@timnitGebru) February 19, 2021

Gebru and Mitchell, who is white, had called for more diversity among Google’s research staff and expressed concern that the company was starting to censor research critical of its products.

Google, in a rather, um, unorthodox way to follow up today’s apology, has fired @mmitchell_ai https://t.co/3FcjgTUHhA

— Dina Bass (@dinabass) February 19, 2021

Gebru said Google fired her after she questioned an order not to publish a paper claiming AI that mimics language could hurt marginalized populations.

Google’s AI research director, Zoubin Ghahramani, and a company legal representative informed Mitchell’s team of her firing on Friday in a meeting called at short notice, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The person said little explanation was given for the dismissal. Alex Hanna, an employee at Google, said on Twitter the company was running a “smear campaign” against Mitchell and Gebru, with whom she worked closely.

.@Google fires top AI ethicist. Removal of Margaret Mitchell comes after the departure of Timnit Gebru amid debate over diversity at Google. Mitchell dismissed over ‘multiple violations of our code of conduct’ and security policies @AP

— Gianni Riotta (@riotta) February 20, 2021

Google did not immediately comment on those claims. In a statement to the Guardian, the company said: “After conducting a review of this manager’s conduct, we confirmed that there were multiple violations of our code of conduct, as well as of our security policies, which included the exfiltration of confidential business-sensitive documents and private data of other employees.”

Google has recruited top scientists with promises of research freedom, but the limits are tested as researchers increasingly write about the negative effects of technology and offer unflattering perspectives on their employer’s products.