Why Timnit Gebru Isn't Waiting for Big Tech to Fix AI's Problems

Three hundred and sixty-four days after she lost her job as a co-lead of Google's ethical artificial intelligence (AI) team, Timnit Gebru is nestled into a couch at an Airbnb rental in Boston, about to embark on a new phase in her career. Google hired Gebru in 2018 to help ensure that its AI products did not perpetuate racism or other societal inequalities. In her role, Gebru hired prominent researchers of color, published several papers that highlighted biases and ethical risks, and spoke at conferences. She also began raising her voice internally about her experiences of racism and sexism at work. But it was one of her research papers that led to her departure. "I had so many issues at Google," Gebru tells TIME over a Zoom call.