Google has quietly updated the webpage of its Responsible AI and Human Centered Technology (RAI-HCT) team, which is researching the safety, fairness, and explainability of artificial intelligence, by removing references to “diversity” and “equity.”
The previous version of the page used words such as “marginalized communities,” “diverse,” “underrepresented groups,” and “equity” to describe the work of the RAI-HCT team. These words have been removed or, in some cases, replaced with less specific language (e.g., “all,” “diverse,” and “numerous” instead of “diverse”).
The changes, which were noticed by the watchdog group The Midas Project, come after Google removed similar language from its Startups Founders Fund grant website. In early February, the company announced that it would eliminate diversity targets in hiring and review its diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Google is one of many large tech companies that have scaled back DEI initiatives as the Trump administration targets what it characterizes as “illegal” practices. Amazon and Meta have both dropped DEI measures in the past few months, and OpenAI recently removed references to diversity and inclusion from its webpage on hiring practices. Apple, however, recently opposed a shareholder proposal to end its DEI programs.
Many of these companies, including Google, have contracts with federal agencies.
