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You can learn a lot by really examining what is happening with Timnit Gebru. Both how she was used to bolster Google's brand and credibility and how she was ultimately sacrificed when she wouldn't fall in line. https://twitter.com/EricaJoy/status/1334649966237650945
I'm really interested in hearing from Jeff Dean. The Google exec who Gebru says is responsible for backstabbing her. Because here's the thing. He could be a villain. Or he could just be an example of spineless white men who follow orders to destroy PoC when we don't behave.
I'm only talking about this explicitly because Gebru has decided to share her story openly. Keep in mind that what she's doing can and probably will be incredibly damaging to her. But we have to start standing our ground against this kind of villainy. This is how things go bad.
Gebru's story has me thinking about the mechanisms for how villainy moves. The ways it covers itself. Read the story. About how it went from her talking to humans to her getting faceless edicts from invisible actors. "It has been decided that you shouldn't publish".
This is incredibly intentional. It serves so many villainous goals. Gebru doesn't know who's making decisions, so she doesn't know she should fight with. She doesn't know how to win. And conveniently, if and when it does come out, we the public don't know who to blame.
Everybody involved passes the buck. It's "unfortunate", but it wasn't their decision. The person who made the decision is never revealed.
The goal is for us to start to second guess ourselves. To think it's too "complicated", and maybe we can't tell if it was true villainy.
The goal is for us to start to second guess ourselves. To think it's too "complicated", and maybe we can't tell if it was true villainy.
There's one thing I learned that I want everyone to understand. There is no magic. There was a conversation between humans. Those humans made a decision. And other humans were given orders to drop the ax on Gebru. That is what happened.
Yes I know there is a line of thinking that says you should kowtow and defer to those in power. That stepping out of line justifies any retaliation.
Just so we're clear, that line of thinking is fucking trash. Especially when dealing with ethics. https://twitter.com/nflolfficiating/status/1334691306510057472?s=19
Just so we're clear, that line of thinking is fucking trash. Especially when dealing with ethics. https://twitter.com/nflolfficiating/status/1334691306510057472?s=19
Some people are brought up to always respect power and hierarchy. Those folks are gonna tell you that "you brought it on yourself". There are other ways to think about our relationship to power. We can't ignore the reality of power, but we do not have to be owned by it.
