Ethics and Profits – Be Cautious How High You Set the Bar

A key team within Google, tasked with ensuring new AI products adhere to the company’s ethical development guidelines, is now in a state of flux following the departure of its lead this month.

In a recent communication to employees about the company’s 2024 priorities, Google CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the importance of responsible AI development.

However, this has led some within the company to question Google’s capability to fulfill this commitment. The departure and subsequent reorganization of the small, yet crucial, team known as RESIN, which has been at the forefront of Google’s internal AI ethics watchdog efforts, has raised concerns among four individuals familiar with the matter. Despite these changes, a Google spokesperson assured that the team’s mission will proceed in an even more robust manner, though specifics were not disclosed.

Principles

RESIN, housed within the Office of Compliance and Integrity of Google’s global affairs division, played a vital role in reviewing internal projects for alignment with Google’s AI principles. These principles are foundational to the responsible development and utilization of AI technology, a critical factor as Google vies for leadership in the generative AI arena. In the past year alone, RESIN reviewed over 500 projects, including the Bard chatbot, highlighting its pivotal role as outlined in a recent Google AI principles report.

Following Gennai’s exit, the team, comprising about 30 individuals, was bifurcated. According to sources, Brian Gabriel, a company spokesperson, mentioned that while 10 percent of RESIN’s staff will remain, the majority were transitioned to the trust and safety team. This team also operates within the global affairs division and is dedicated to combating abuse of Google’s services. Importantly, it appears that no layoffs have occurred as part of this restructuring. However, the specifics regarding the division of responsibilities and the future handling of AI principles reviews remain unclear.

A Dedication to Responsible AI Development

Gabriel refrained from detailing how RESIN’s AI project review tasks would be managed moving forward but depicted the restructuring as a testament to Google’s dedication to responsible AI development. He explained that this reorganization aims to integrate the responsible AI team more closely with Google’s established trust and safety efforts, enhancing and expanding the company’s commitment to responsible innovation.

This announcement comes at a time when Google is well-known for its frequent organizational reshuffles. Despite this, RESIN had remained relatively stable since its inception. The team’s visibility and broad mandate covering all of Google’s core services had made it a key player in AI oversight within the company.

The restructuring has not only led to Gennai’s departure but also saw the exit of another influential team member, Sara Tangdall, who served as the lead AI principles ethics specialist. Tangdall has since joined Salesforce as the responsible AI product director. Both Tangdall and Gennai have remained silent on the matter.

The Pentagon

The inception of RESIN back in 2018 was a direct response to internal and external protests against Google’s engagement with a Pentagon project, Project Maven, which leveraged Google algorithms for analyzing drone surveillance imagery. RESIN was established to champion a set of AI principles aimed at using AI for the benefit of society, steering clear of applications in weaponry or actions that could infringe on human rights. Gennai was instrumental in crafting these principles.

The departure of key figures and the restructuring of RESIN have led to speculation about the future of ethical AI oversight at Google. As the company pushes forward in the competitive landscape of AI, balancing rapid innovation with ethical considerations remains a critical challenge.