Google fired one of its engineers on Saturday after he was forced to take leave after he said the company’s artificial intelligence system had feelings, the BBC reported.
Google put engineer Blake Lemoine on temporary paid leave after he claimed that the chatbot he was working on had developed its own “cognitive awareness” to a near-human level.
While Google and several AI experts denied the allegations and confirmed on Friday that he had been fired, Lemoine told the BBC: “He is receiving legal advice and declined to comment further.”
Google also said in a statement that Lemoine’s claims about a language model for chat apps called Lambda were “completely unfounded” and that the company had worked with him for “several months” to clarify it.
“Therefore, it is unfortunate that, despite its long-term involvement in this matter, Blake continues to selectively violate our clear data security and employment policies, which include the need to protect product information,” the company’s statement explained. Lambda is an advanced technology and enterprise tool for building chat bots.
Lemoine made headlines last June for suggesting that Lambda exhibits human-like intelligence, sparking debate among AI experts and enthusiasts about the development of technology designed to impersonate humans.
Lemoine, who worked with Google’s AI team, told The Washington Post that his job was to test whether the technology used discriminatory or hate speech.
He also found that Lambda showed self-awareness and could discuss religion, emotions, and fears, leading Lemoine to believe that there might be a conscious mind behind his impressive verbal skills.
While Google rejected his findings and he was placed on paid leave for violating the company’s privacy policy, Lemoine later released a conversation he and someone else had with Lambda to support his claims.
Google also said in its statement that it takes the development of responsible artificial intelligence “very seriously” and published a report on the matter. It added that any employee concerns about the company’s technology were “extensively” investigated and Lambda underwent 11 reviews.
Source: Lebanon Debate
