Google AI Chief Apologizes for Researcher’s Acrimonious Exit
- Company will grade executives based partly on diversity goals
- Size of HR team devoted to employee retention will double
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Google will start grading executives based on workforce diversity goals and increase human resources staffing, acknowledging fault in its acrimonious split with Timnit Gebru, a prominent former employee and one of the few Black women in the field of artificial intelligence.
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive officer of parent company Alphabet Inc., described the changes in an email to employees, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information. The email included comments by Jeff Dean, the executive who leads the company’s artificial intelligence and research efforts, saying he was sorry for how he handled Gebru’s exit, according to a copy of the message reviewed by Bloomberg.