| Presented by | | | | | In December, artificial intelligence ethics researcher Timnit Gebru was pushed out of Google over a research paper in which she explored the risks of a technology core to Google Search. For many who work in the field, Gebru’s ouster was emblematic of a troubling power dynamic within Silicon Valley, where industry giants like Google control the conversation around AI—including who gets to be in the rooms where core technologies are built and critiqued.
The stakes of this battle couldn’t be higher. AI is increasingly involved in determining everything from credit scores and criminal sentences to car insurance and healthcare access. But rather than muffling Gebru, Google inadvertently spotlighted a movement advocating for algorithms that work in service of social justice—not the status quo. Read more here.
—Katharine Schwab | | | | | |
a message from lexus | | The New Lexus LS | The greatest machines were inspired by humans. Every detail was designed around you. The LS is engineered to a higher standard—the human standard. Learn more. | | |
|
| NEWS | Airbnb anticipates a travel rebound: What you need to know | | In its first earnings report as a publicly traded company, Airbnb delivered a hopeful forecast for the coronavirus-battered travel industry. | | | “Travel is coming back and we are laser-focused on preparing for the travel rebound,” the company said in its opening statement. | | | Despite travel grinding to a halt last year, Airbnb says its revenue for the fourth quarter was down only 22%. At the same time, it reported a net loss of $3.89 billion. | | | It also cautioned that specific recovery trends for its business are still impossible to predict, given the uncertainty around how and when the pandemic will play out. | | | | | | | BRANDS THAT MATTER | Fast Company is accepting applications for its new Brands That Matter ranking | Fast Company is excited to introduce a new recognition program: Brands That Matter. This program will showcase brands that are more than the products they sell or the services they provide, that have achieved relevance through cultural impact and social engagement, and whose branding authentically communicates their missions and ideals. | | | | | | Your opinion and insights are important to us! Please click here to take the Fast Company Content survey for a chance to win a free pass to Fast Company’s virtual Most Innovative Companies Summit March 9-10, 2021. | | | | |
|