Google quietly disbands another AI advisory board

Mackenzie Garrity -

Google is in the processes of dismantling a panel that aims at reviewing its artificial intelligence solutions in healthcare, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The dissolvement of the AI advisory board is due to disagreements about how to govern itself, sources close to the matter told the WSJ. Google's AI unit is struggling with how to set guidelines for its different sensitive work.

Governments and leaders across the globe are calling for AI developers to also develop more guidelines for the technology. The European Commission proposed a set of AI ethical guidelines. While researchers urge tech companies to adopt these guidelines, there have also been pushes for companies to conduct oversight in-house.

Google has been conducing its oversight in-house. However, the tech giant has faced various challenges in doing so. Earlier in April, Google highlighted its global, independent ethics council to guide the company on AI-related research and products. The council was disbanded a week later, the WSJ reports.

Back in 2018 a similar incident also occurred when Google began whittling down an independent panel designed to monitor its AI work in healthcare. Google said it was doing so because of a reorganization in its healthcare-focused business.

Others suggested the decision to dismantle the panel was because of disagreements between advisory members and DeepMind, Google's U.K.-based AI research unit, people close with the matter told WSJ.

Although many of Google's independent panels have been disbanded, one still plans to publish a "lessons learned" report, which will include recommendations on how to better equip boards in the future, sources close to the matter told WSJ.

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