Google scrubs mentions of ‘diversity’ and ‘equity’ from responsible AI team webpage

Image Credits:David Paul Morris/Bloomberg / Getty Images

12:08 PM PST · March 8, 2025

Google has quietly updated the web page for its Responsible AI and Human Centered Technology (RAI-HCT) team, the team charged with conducting research into AI safety, fairness, and explainability, to scrub mentions of “diversity” and “equity.”

A previous version of the page used language such as “marginalized communities,” “diverse,” “underrepresented groups,” and “equity” to describe the RAI-HCT team’s work. That language has been removed, or in some cases replaced with less specific wording (e.g., “all,” “varied,” and “numerous” rather than “diverse”).

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Date: Feb 26 – March 6, 2025
Company: @Google
Change: Scrubbed mentions of diversity and equity from the mission description of their Responsible AI team. pic.twitter.com/i9VvBcHMQ6

— The Midas Project Watchtower (@SafetyChanges) March 8, 2025

The changes, which were spotted by watchdog group The Midas Project, come after Google deleted similar language from its Startups Founders Fund grant website. The company said in early February that it would eliminate its diversity hiring targets and review its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Google is among the many Big Tech companies that have rolled back DEI initiatives as the Trump administration targets what it characterizes as an “illegal” practice. Amazon and Meta have walked back DEI measures over the past few months, and OpenAI recently removed mentions of diversity and inclusion from a web page on its hiring practices. Apple, however, recently pushed back against a shareholder proposal to end its DEI programs.

Many of these companies, including Google, have contracts with federal agencies.

Kyle Wiggers is TechCrunch’s AI Editor. His writing has appeared in VentureBeat and Digital Trends, as well as a range of gadget blogs including Android Police, Android Authority, Droid-Life, and XDA-Developers. He lives in Manhattan with his partner, a music therapist.

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