Jasmine McNealy, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications associate director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project and Telecommunication associate professor, was quoted in “From Whistleblower Laws to Unions: How Google’s AI Ethics Meltdown Could Shape Policy” published on venturebeat.com on Dec. 16.

The article focuses on Google’s firing of Timnit Gebru, one of the most highly regarded AI ethics researchers in the world. Her dismissal calls into question issues of corporate influence in research and the treatment of Black people and women in technical fields.

McNealy has recently accepted funding from Google for AI ethics research and she expressed skepticism about the idea that the present economic environment will allow public universities to turn down funding from tech or virtually any other source.

“Unless state legislators and governors say, ‘We don’t necessarily like money coming from these kinds of organizations or people,’ I don’t think universities — particularly public universities — are going to stop taking money from organizations,” she said.

Posted: December 17, 2020
Category: AI at CJC News, College News, Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project News
Tagged as: AIatUF, Jasmine McNealty, Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project