Ethics | Common News Update

Feb202021 by adminNo Comments

Google sacks founder of its AI ethics programme amid ‘sexism and discrimination’ claims

Technology

Tech giant Google has fired the head of its artificial intelligence (AI) ethics programme, claiming she had broken the rules on moving files outside of the company.Margaret Mitchell tweeted the she had been let go by the firm on Friday, with the move coming a month after she had publicly vented about the way her former peer, Timnit Gebru, was dismissed. In a statement, Google said that Ms Mitchell's violations "included the exfiltration of confidential business-sensitive documents and private data of other employees" following an investigation last month. According to some reports, Ms Mitchell had been locked out of her work account for five weeks in the build up to her dismissal, including her emails and the corporate system.Her colleague, Ms Gebru, left Google late last year and says s...

Dec42020 by adminNo Comments

Google AI researcher’s exit sparks ethics, bias concerns

Technology

Artificial intelligence scholar Timnit Gebru helped improve Google’s public image as a company that elevates Black computer scientists and questions harmful uses of AI technologyBy MATT O'BRIEN AP Technology WriterDecember 4, 2020, 9:55 PM• 4 min readProminent artificial intelligence scholar Timnit Gebru helped improve Google's public image as a company that elevates Black computer scientists and questions harmful uses of AI technology.But internally, Gebru, a leader in the field of AI ethics, was not shy about voicing doubts about those commitments — until she was pushed out of the company this week in a dispute over a research paper examining the societal dangers of an emerging branch of AI.Gebru announced on Twitter she was fired. Google told employees she resigned. More than 1,200 Goog...

Feb242020 by adminNo Comments

Pentagon adopts ethics for artificial intelligence use

Business

Feb. 24 (UPI) -- The Defense Department announced adoption of ethical principles for use of artificial intelligence on Monday. The announcement comes after 15 months of consultation with AI experts in industry, government, academia and the American public and aligns with the strategy objectives for the U.S. military's lawful and ethical use of AI systems. Initial recommendations were given to Defense Secretary Mark Esper in October by the Defense Innovation Board, whose mission includes bringing high-technology innovation to the U.S. military. "The United States, together with our allies and partners, must accelerate the adoption of AI and lead in its national security applications to maintain our strategic position, prevail on future battlefields and safeguard the rules-based internatio...

Apr262019 by adminNo Comments

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan cleared in ethics probe

Business

April 25 (UPI) -- Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has been cleared by the Pentagon's inspector general after an investigation into possible ethics violations involving ties to Boeing, his former employer. The Department of Defense's Inspector General's Office announced the decision Thursday after more than 30 witnesses, including Shanahan, were interviewed about allegations he violated ethics agreements by promoting the interests of Boeing and disparaged its competitors. "We did not substantiate any of the allegations," the IG's office wrote in the 47-page report. "We determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing. We determined that Mr. Shanahan did not make the alleged comments and did not promote Boeing or ...

Apr212019 by adminNo Comments

A former Abu Dhabi investing official thinks ethics are going to play a bigger role in market decisions

Finance

Investors will soon apply environmental, social and governance standards to global governments as the role of ethics grows in the investing world, according to Paul O'Brien, the former deputy CIO of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which manages more than $ 700 billion in assets. "People [are] taking a more ethical approach to their investing. That has been more tied to environmental issues, primarily in Europe and the United States," O'Brien told CNBC on the sidelines of the Ned Davis Research conference earlier this month. "But, really, ethics applies to countries, too." One example of this was seen earlier this year. Pharo Management, a U...