Google's Internal Conflict Over AI Research On Chip Design Jeopardizes Millions Of Dollars In Government Grants

Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google recently terminated a senior engineering manager for allegedly debunking and harassing its landmark research on artificial intelligence software, Reuters reports.
Google's research unit drew scrutiny in late 2020 after workers criticized its handling of personnel complaints and publication practices.
The latest controversy stemming from efforts to automate chip design jeopardizes the reputation of Google's research in the academic community.
Google scientists Azalia Mirhoseini and Anna Goldie discovered that AI could complete a critical step in the design process for chips, or floorplanning, faster and better than an unspecified human expert.
However, other Google scientists, led by Satrajit Chatterjee, found that two alternative approaches based on essential software outperform AI. One beat it on a well-known test, and the other on a proprietary Google rubric.
Goldie accused Chatterjee of harassing her and Mirhoseini for years by spreading misinformation about them.
Google refused to publish the second theory because it did not meet its standards and removed Satrajit Chatterjee, a leading driver of the work.
Google found the comparison to a human as more relevant, and software licensing issues had prevented it from mentioning tests.
The conflict could disrupt the flow of millions of dollars in government grants for research into AI and chips, Reuters wrote.
Price Action: GOOG shares closed higher by 1.91% at $2,343.14 on Monday.
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