During a presentation by an executive with Google’s Israel branch on Monday, a Google Cloud engineer stood up and shouted, “I refuse to build technology that powers genocide or surveillance.” They were later fired.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/8/24094687/google-israel-project-nimbus-employee-fired
I absolutely understand the sentiment of that engineer, but I also understand why they were fired. Maybe they wanted to get fired to make their point, but if they didn’t, yelling at an executive during a meeting is always a good way to get yourself fired no matter what that executive is saying.
So while I don’t want anyone building such technology either, I hope that person knew the consequences they were facing.
Getting fired is what makes this a story worth writing about. It was intentional.
Usually engineers, while not always the most socially in tune people, aren’t total dumbasses. He also said (very publicly) that he refuses to do the work they are telling him to do so he’s explicitly telling them to fire him.
I’ve known a lot of engineers and only known two who weren’t total dumbasses. Are you sure about your assertion?
You don’t engage in that kind of direct action without being fully aware of the consequences. An engineer at Google is not that idiotic
I would hope not, but you never know.
I definitely would not go that far. https://futurism.com/blake-lemoine-google-interview
Well, first of all, one doofus doesn’t mean they are all doofus. Secondly, that person is an ethicist, not an engineer, even though Futurism calls him both, they are distinct and this guy was always making it seem like he was more than he was. Thirdly, smart people can do idiotic things, but that didn’t make them idiotic, maybe if they are habitually doing idiotic things, then sure then they are idiotic, but one idiotic thing does not make an idiot, just like I’ve misspelling does not make someone not fluent.
Even if this one ethicist was an engineer, that doesn’t mean all engineers are idiotic, that my friend would be idiotic to assert such a thing. I contend that, by and large, engineers are not idiotic. Does that mean they’re aren’t idiots? No, don’t be silly.
Finally, I don’t think that this was idiotic, so…