"Gebru effect": two other researchers leave Google

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February 04, 2021A longtime engineer, David Baker, and software developer, Vinesh Kannan,

from Google in California.

A decision that was read as a reaction to the dismissal, which took place last December, of

, a researcher on diversity in artificial intelligence.

According to Reuters, a clear sign of internal conflicts over research, prejudice and ethics within Alphabet, the parent company of Mountain View.

Baker, director of user security, left the company

in January.

In a letter - which the Reuters agency had in mind - he states that Gebru's exit "has extinguished my desire to continue as a 'googler'", adding that "we cannot say that we believe in diversity and at the same time ignore the conspicuous absence of many voices within our walls ".

The other outgoing software engineer Vinesh Kannan wrote on Twitter that he left the company because

in two cases, that of researcher Timnit Gebru and that of April Curley, a recruiter who claims she was fired without reason.

Gebru and Curley declare themselves 'black', black people.

Yesterday was my last day at Google.

I left because Google's mistreatment of @timnitGebru and @RealAbril crossed a personal red line I wrote down when I started the job.

I know I gained a lot from Google, but I also gained a lot from both of their work, and they were wronged.

- Vinesh Kannan (@vineshgkannan) February 3, 2021

Google did not comment on the defections but reiterated that, as per previous statements, it is trying to restore employee confidence after Gebru's firing, while challenging Curley's allegation.

At the time of Gebru's dismissal, over 1200 researchers signed an

in support of him, accusing Google of "unprecedented censorship" and an "act of retaliation."

Timnit Gebru's resume - originally from Ethiopia , a PhD from Stanford - lists, before joining the Mountain View Ethical AI lab, previous assignments at Microsoft Research, where he studied algorithm biases and the ethical implications behind data collection projects, and in Apple.

The resignations of the two engineers come as employees demand academic freedom and changes in business management: more than 800 have joined a

to protect their jobs and more than 2,600 of the 135,000 'googlers' have signed the letter to supported by Timnit Gebru.