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  • 09 Aug 2022

A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally?

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? 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.” 

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A Lesson from Google: Can AI Bias be Monitored Internally?

Re: Tsedal Neeley

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? 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.”

Working poor to upwardly mobile: Merit America’s formula for change

What does it take to move the needle on inequality and promote economic mobility? To help workers stuck in low-wage jobs, build career programs around their economic and social realities and focus on in-demand skills. Connor Diemand-Yauman and Rebecca Taber Staehelin, co-CEOs of nonprofit Merit America, explain how targeted, affordable and flexible training, buttressed by one-on-one coaching and other supports, can boost incomes and career prospects.

Can Bombas Reach New Customers while Maintaining Its Social Mission?

Re: Elizabeth A. Keenan

Bombas was started in 2013 with a dual mission: to deliver quality socks and donate much-needed footwear to people living in shelters. By 2021, it had become one of America’s most visible buy-one-give-one companies, with over $250 million in annual revenue and 50 million pairs of socks donated. Later, as Bombas expanded into underwear, t-shirts, and slippers, the company struggled to determine what pace of growth would best allow it to reach new customers while maintaining its social mission. Harvard Business School assistant professor Elizabeth Keenan discusses the case, "Bee-ing Better at Bombas."

MOOC to graduate degree: What the 2U, edX merger means for higher ed and skills building

Edtech firm 2U's acquisition of edX, the Harvard-MIT nonprofit education venture, has the potential to advance online higher-ed and broaden access. But there are many moving parts and interested parties. 2U co-founder and CEO, Chip Paucek, makes the case for the super platform formed by the merger.

Can the Foodservice Distribution Industry Recover from the Pandemic?

Re: David E. Bell

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, US Foods struggled, as restaurant and school closures reduced demand for foodservice distribution. The situation improved after the return of indoor dining and in-person learning, but an industry-wide shortage of truck drivers and warehouse staff hampered the foodservice distributor’s post-pandemic recovery. That left CEO Pietro Satriano to determine the best strategy to attract and retain essential workers, even as he was tasked with expanding the wholesale grocery store chain (CHEF’STORE) that US Foods launched during the pandemic lockdown. Harvard Business School Professor David E. Bell explores how post-pandemic supply chain challenges continue to affect the foodservice distribution industry in his case, “US Foods: Driving Post-Pandemic Success?”

Can we automate our way to better decision making?

The pandemic has forced organizational change and spurred the development of new business models. It’s also prompted workers and the public to reexamine their relationships with businesses. Juergen Lindner, Oracle SVP of Global Marketing, discusses the workforce and skills implications of doing business in the cloud and how automation could help advance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

Scaling a Fintech Startup for the Greater Good

Re: Emily Williams

Esusu launched in 2018 with a rotational savings product and continued growing their fintech startup in late 2019 with Esusu Rent, a rent reporting tool that enables renters to improve their credit scores. In March 2020, co-founders Abbey Wemimo and Samir Goel were working to determine how best to scale Esusu to advance their mission of promoting financial inclusion in the US. Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Emily Williams discusses how the two co-founders decided how to allocate resources and scale their business in the case, “Esusu: Solving Homelessness Backwards.”

Reshma Saujani on recoding work for gender equity

If it’s cool for girls to code, why aren’t more women working in technology? And why are working mothers in all sectors finding it difficult to establish and maintain careers? Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan for Moms, shares her formula for structural change.

What Does It Take to Close the Opportunity Gap in America’s Labor Market?

Re: V. Kasturi Rangan

In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and widespread protests for social justice in the United States, OneTen was formed by a coalition of 40 large companies to address the disparity in job opportunities for African Americans without four-year college degrees. Their goal was to provide one million jobs in 10 years. But in order to do that, OneTen had to analyze the underlying problems and formulate recommendations for both system-level problems and those that manifest themselves at an organizational level. Professor Kash Rangan and OneTen CEO Maurice Jones discuss OneTen’s approach in the case, “OneTen: One Million Opportunities in Ten Years.”

Dropbox founder Drew Houston on streamlining the digital workspace

Is work-life balance possible when you’re always connected? The pandemic has forced advances in the digital underpinnings of remote and hybrid work. Dropbox has added apps and organizational advice to its ubiquitous cloud storage. Founder and CEO Drew Houston on the firm’s virtual-first strategy and his vision for an AI-powered, uncluttered digital workplace.

Corruption: New Insights for Fighting an Age-Old Business Problem

Re: Tarun KhannaRe: Geoffrey G. Jones

Corruption is as old as humanity, with cases documented as far back as the Egyptian dynasties. While the World Bank estimates that international bribery exceeds $1.5 trillion annually, the larger and more subtle effects of corruption on economies and populations is incalculable. Harvard Business School professors Geoff Jones and Tarun Khanna explore how corruption uniquely affects business in emerging markets, and why it should be addressed by the public and private sectors in their case, “Corruption and Business in Emerging Markets,” and companion video interviews with more than 100 iconic entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Wholesale upskilling: Walmart’s workforce value proposition

Businesses are getting strategic about skills building, focusing on what they and their employees need to reach their respective goals. As the largest private employer in the U.S., Walmart is looking to influence the direction of education and training, from basic skills through post-secondary credentials. Joe Fuller welcomes Lorraine Stomski, Walmart's Senior Vice President of Enterprise Leadership and Learning.

Delivering a Personalized Shopping Experience with AI

Re: Jill J. Avery

THE YES, a shopping app for fashion brands, uses a sophisticated algorithm to create and deliver a personalized store for every shopper, based on her style preferences, size, and budget. After launching the app in 2020, the founders had to decide whether to continue developing the algorithm to deliver on the company’s customer value proposition or to focus their resources on new customer acquisition, with the idea that more users on the app would improve the algorithm's performance. Senior Lecturer Jill Avery and The YES co-founder and CEO Julie Bornstein discuss this make-or-break dilemma in the case, The YES: Reimagining the Future of e-Commerce with Artificial Intelligence (AI). This episode was recorded live at Harvard Business School on March 30, 2022 as part of our Case Method 100 celebration.

Virtually present: Meta’s vision for the hybrid workplace

The pandemic has forced businesses to reassess how, where, and when work gets done. The competition to provision this transformation is intense. Facebook parent Meta is looking to bridge the community experience of social media and the collaborative aspects of work via familiar interfaces and new, virtual experiences. Christine Trodella joins Bill Kerr.

Can Handshake’s endless college job fair democratize employment?

The pandemic has underscored the value of distance learning and remote work and bolstered the case for virtualizing the college-to-career connection. Over the past decade, Handshake has established itself as the dominant jobs network and recruiting platform. Co-founder and CEO Garrett Lord explains how taking the campus out of the equation levels the playing field.

Can a Social Entrepreneur End Homelessness in the US?

Re: Brian L. Trelstad

Community Solutions is a nonprofit founded in 2011 by Rosanne Haggerty, with the ambitious goal of ending chronic homelessness in America. Its “Built for Zero” methodology takes a public health approach, helping communities across the US use better data collection and outreach to improve government processes and piecemeal solutions. In 2021, Community Solutions was awarded a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation, and Haggerty and her team had to decide how to prioritize projects and spending to maximize the grant’s impact. Should they continue to focus on unhoused veterans or expand their work to include families and youth in need of housing? Senior Lecturer Brian Trelstad discusses Haggerty’s approach in his case, "Community Solutions."

Building back a better supported federal workforce

Government work has gotten a bad rap of late, even as it’s arguably more essential than ever. Can a labor-friendly administration jump-start the modernization and rejuvenation of the federal workforce? Kiran Ahuja, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, discusses the agency’s post-Covid strategy and its initiatives on diversity, accessibility, pay equity, and collective bargaining.

What Role Do Individual Leaders Play in Corporate Governance?

Re: Aiyesha Dey

From 1997 to 2012, Scott Tucker built a nationwide network of payday lending businesses, becoming a pioneer in online lending along the way. Many of his borrowers could not access credit from commercial banks and depended on payday loans as a financial lifeline to cope with emergency expenses. But in 2012 federal prosecutors indicted Tucker on several criminal charges that he violated disclosure requirements. He was later convicted on 14 charges, including racketeering, misleading disclosures, and fraud. Associate Professor Aiyesha Dey discusses how the case, “Scott Tucker: Race to the Top,” examines the role of individual leaders in the corporate governance system, as well as their responsibility for creating a positive corporate culture that embodies ethics, self-restraint, and a commitment to serve. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Micha Kaufman on the new terms of the talent bargain

The pandemic took remote work mainstream. This gave a boost to online platforms for freelance professionals and highly skilled workers. Micha Kaufman, founder and CEO of Fiverr, explains how businesses have gotten better at leveraging this talent, how freelancers have are finding new opportunities, and what policies can help support this model.

Transforming Deloitte’s Approach to Consulting

Re: Michael L. Tushman

Pixel helps facilitate open talent and crowdsourcing for Deloitte Consulting client engagements. But while some of Deloitte’s principals are avid users of Pixel’s services, uptake across the organization has been slow, and in some pockets has met with deep resistance. Balaji Bondili, head of Pixel, must decide how best to grow Deloitte Consulting’s use of on-demand talent, as consulting companies and their clients face transformative change. Professor Mike Tushman discusses Deloitte’s challenges in pursuing this new approach to consulting, and what it takes to be a “corporate explorer” like Bondili in his case, “Deloitte’s Pixel: Consulting with Open Talent.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.