Billionaire Elon Musk criticized Google AI executive Jen Gennai over past racist comments, arguing it was a confession of a crime to treat employees differently based on race.
This came after Google’s Gemini AI project was paused due to displaying anti-white bias.
A video showed Gennai, head of Google’s AI responsibility initiative, saying she treats black, hispanic and latinx employees differently than white ones.
New game: Try to get Google Gemini to make an image of a Caucasian male. I have not been successful so far. pic.twitter.com/1LAzZM2pXF
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) February 21, 2024
Gennai said in the clip, “It’s a myth that you’re not unfair if you treat everyone the same.”
“There are groups who have been marginalized and excluded because of historic systems and structures that were intentionally designed to favor one group over another. So you need to account for that and mitigate against it,” she insisted.
Elon Musk said this differential treatment based on race is illegal.
“Treating people differently on the basis of race, gender, etc. is flat-out illegal,” commented Musk.
He added, “This is confession of a crime.”
Further, journalist Matt Walsh uncovered prior undercover footage of Gennai implying Google worked to prevent Trump’s reelection.
Walsh wrote, “Senior Google employees like Gennai know they have a lot of power.”
He continued, “Shortly before the 2020 election, Gennai was caught on hidden camera implying that Google will do what it can to prevent Donald Trump from winning again.”
Musk replied, “That would be illegal election interference.”
Writer Frank Fleming attempted to get Gemini AI to generate images of white men through various prompts but was unsuccessful, seeming to show the AI’s refusal to depict white individuals.
The AI also avoided depicting Tiananmen Square, raising issues given Google’s relationship with China.
