Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/04/01/solidarity-forever-3.html
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One cannot ensure diversity of thought by including those who decry diversity. See Poppers paradox.
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This is an unfair and dangerous demand on Google. How is the company supposed to achieve a balanced viewpoint and diversity of thought on ethical applications for powerful technology if it doesn’t bring a representative from virulently bigoted and hatemongering organisation onto its advisory board? Do we really need yet another American corporation stuck in a Coastal Elite bubble of liberalism and tolerance for others?
Thanks. For those who will inevitably fail to look it up before screaming “liberals are intolerant”:
That being posted, I’ll await the complaints about an organisation that promotes and enables hatred of LGBTQ+ people and other minorities being compared to the Nazis.
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This seriously needs to be on a tee-shirt, because a lot of people seem to have missed that memo.
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Roger That!
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Kay Coles James could apologize for their homophobia, get rid of that policy, resign and be replaced by another Heritage president and that person’s appointment to a Google advisory panel would still be wrong.
Heritage is an old time spearhead in climate change denials. That demand to be at the table to ensure “diversity” is straight out of the climate change denial playbook created by Exxon and their PR hacks (including Heritage) going back decades. Heritage Foundation has taken $870,000 in grants from ExxonMobil and over $5 million from the Koch brothers. On their behalf the foundation hits public facing entities with this “need for balance” like a hammer.
Google also was the gold sponsor for a libertarian turned-out-to-be-a climate denial conference in DC reported in January. Heritage Foundation was a co-sponsor as were FB and Microsoft.
Corporations and industries seeking to avoid regulation will do things to have one foot on either side of the political aisle. The donations and sponsorship of conservative or liberal causes always increase when companies fall under the microscope of investigative committees or are targeted by proposed legislation, and it seems clear this is what’s been transpiring at Google.
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Wish I had more hearts to give here.
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So Google brings a person of colour on to the panel, but makes sure they are a raging bigot?
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Balance!
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its decision to add Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James to its Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), an advisory body that provides moral guidance on AI and other technologies
When it came to ‘moral guidance,’ did they add him her because they wanted someone to present the “con” position?
Did they also add someone from the KKK to their civil rights working group?
So many questions.
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Not that it really matters, but James is a woman.
SMH
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OMG, how could she even be considered for a technology advisory council?
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I won’t even say that the “James” in there threw me off - given the nature of such groups, I didn’t even pay attention to the name because it’s always, always men in that role. I’m pretty sure a woman president is a first for the organization. They’ve had a couple female trustees (e.g. Rebekah Mercer), but it’s patriarchy central.
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Aye, I hear ya.
A woman of color, who’s a bigot against transpeople; this is so NOT “progress.”
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