A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Detected Internally? | Cold Call episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 18, 2026 · 29 MIN

A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Detected Internally? | Cold Call

from Harvard Business Review · host HBR

A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally? | Cold Call 14 Jun 2023 --- Dr. Timnit Gebru was the co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI research team – until she raised concerns about bias in the company’s large language models and was forced out in 2020. Her departure sent shockwaves through the AI and tech community and raised fundamental questions about how companies safeguard against bias in their own AI. Should in-house ethics research continue to be led by researchers who best understand the technology, or must ethics and bias be monitored by more objective researchers who aren’t employed by companies? Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses how companies can approach the problem of AI bias in her case, “Timnit Gebru: ‘SILENCED No More’ on AI Bias and The Harms of Large Language Models.” (https://store.hbr.org/product/timnit-gebru-silenced-no-more-on-ai-bias-and-the-harms-of-large-language-models/422085?sku=422085-PDF-ENG) This episode originally aired on Cold Call on August 9, 2022. You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2022/08/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally/id1156646189?i=1000575518349 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/10PE0JYiaVp4A04vNJq1e9?si=2e1937c63a214033 - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/cold-call/episode/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally-205628379 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2NvbGQtY2FsbA/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAxNi0wOS0xNjpjb2xkLWNhbGwuMDE4MQ?sa=X&ved=0CAgQuIEEahcKEwiQ9PW49aL_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNQ Series Description: Harvard Business School’s legendary case studies, distilled into podcast form. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 5:18 – LLMs in the Context of AI 8:14 – Who Is Timnit Gebru? 10:55 – AI and DEI 13:39 – Timnit vs. Google 20:53 – Timnit After Google / DAIR 23:37 – Outro Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review/ Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #business #management #harvardbusinessschool Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally? | Cold Call 14 Jun 2023 --- Dr. Timnit Gebru was the co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI research team – until she raised concerns about bias in the company’s large language models and was forced out in 2020. Her departure sent shockwaves through the AI and tech community and raised fundamental questions about how companies safeguard against bias in their own AI. Should in-house ethics research continue to be led by researchers who best understand the technology, or must ethics and bias be monitored by more objective researchers who aren’t employed by companies? Harvard Business School professor Tsedal Neeley discusses how companies can approach the problem of AI bias in her case, “Timnit Gebru: ‘SILENCED No More’ on AI Bias and The Harms of Large Language Models.” (https://store.hbr.org/product/timnit-gebru-silenced-no-more-on-ai-bias-and-the-harms-of-large-language-models/422085?sku=422085-PDF-ENG) This episode originally aired on Cold Call on August 9, 2022. You can also listen to this episode on HBR.org, and wherever you listen to podcasts: - HBR.org (transcript available here): https://hbr.org/podcast/2022/08/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally/id1156646189?i=1000575518349 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/10PE0JYiaVp4A04vNJq1e9?si=2e1937c63a214033 - Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/cold-call/episode/a-lesson-from-google-can-ai-bias-be-monitored-internally-205628379 - Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmhhcnZhcmRidXNpbmVzcy5vcmcvaGFydmFyZGJ1c2luZXNzL2NvbGQtY2FsbA/episode/dGFnOmF1ZGlvLmhici5vcmcsMjAxNi0wOS0xNjpjb2xkLWNhbGwuMDE4MQ?sa=X&ved=0CAgQuIEEahcKEwiQ9PW49aL_AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNQ Series Description: Harvard Business School’s legendary case studies, distilled into podcast form. About Harvard Business Review: Harvard Business Review is the leading destination for smart management thinking. Through its flagship magazine, books, and digital content and tools published on HBR.org, Harvard Business Review aims to provide professionals around the world with rigorous insights and best practices to help lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Learn more at www.hbr.org. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 5:18 – LLMs in the Context of AI 8:14 – Who Is Timnit Gebru? 10:55 – AI and DEI 13:39 – Timnit vs. Google 20:53 – Timnit After Google / DAIR 23:37 – Outro Follow Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review/ Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #business #management #harvardbusinessschool Copyright © 2022 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Detected Internally? | Cold Call

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This episode was published on June 18, 2026.

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A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally? | Cold Call 14 Jun 2023 --- Dr. Timnit Gebru was the co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI research team – until she raised concerns about bias in the company’s large language models and was...

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