Google abruptly expelled Tymnet Gibro, an artificial intelligence ethicist who has gained great respect around the world for her work uncovering racial biases in AI algorithms and promoting the presence of women and people of color in the field.
Gibro, who co-led Google's ethical AI team, announced her dismissal in a series of tweets on Wednesday.
The news was promptly met with outrage from the ethicists, her former colleagues, and several influential AI researchers.
Joy Bulamoyne, founder of Algorithmic Justice League, co-author with Gibro, tweeted a paper that revealed the problem of facial recognition bias, "being bold, honest, knowing your worth, speaking on behalf of others, and doing the work." Without waiting for thanks, to be a pioneer on the road, not to suffer from fools, and to be all that you wish for, but to be a black woman is an insult to those who prefer to see us shivering rather than possessing our power. "
In announcing her departure, Gibroo quoted an email she received from one of her bosses indicating that the company's decision was related to numerous requests it had made to management.
In a separate series of tweets in late November, Gipro expressed her frustration with her white male bosses at Google.
Google employees who worked with Gibro also expressed their anger, although some were more cautiously tones than those outside the company.
Members of the Google AI Ethics Team described Gibro as one of the best and most supportive managers they have worked with.
Gibro's dismissal came the same day the National Labor Relations Board accused Google of spying on employees before firing two workers in 2019.
The fired worker Lawrence Burland was organizing workers to protest Google's work with IRI Consultants, an anti-union firm. Google claimed that the dismissal was the result of the worker violating internal policies, but the National Labor Relations Board found that the restrictions it imposed Google was illegal.