General NewsSocial mediaTechnologyX Corp. Misrepresentation of AI-Generated Speaker Prompts Withdrawal of Microsoft and Amazon Executives from Tech Conference by Ethan Kim November 29, 2023 written by Ethan Kim November 29, 2023 5 comments Bookmark 71 Senior executives from Microsoft and Amazon have withdrawn their participation from an imminent software conference following the discovery that a purported female speaker on the agenda was, in fact, a fabrication. Eduards Sizovs, the organizer of DevTernity, acknowledged via social media that one of the speakers, purported to be a woman, was a fictitious entity created by artificial intelligence, complete with a fabricated title. This admission was in response to speculations about several dubious profiles on the conference’s website, which seemed to be the product of AI. However, Sizovs refuted claims that the creation of the fake profile was an attempt to conceal the subpar diversity in this year’s speaker lineup. He declined to offer an apology in a sequence of messages on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and remained unresponsive to email inquiries for comments as of Tuesday. This disclosure prompted a swift withdrawal by other speakers from the virtual event, initially scheduled to commence on December 7. Kristine Howard, an executive at Amazon Web Services, shared on LinkedIn her realization that she was potentially the only genuine female speaker listed, with doubts cast on the authenticity of others. Scott Hanselman, a Microsoft executive, expressed on X his commitment to participating only in events that feature diverse speakers. He conveyed his disappointment at being misled by the inclusion of fake speakers and underscored the abundance of diverse speakers available for tech conferences. DevTernity, traditionally hosted annually in Riga, Latvia, shifted to an online format since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Table of Contents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about AI-generated controversyWhy did Microsoft and Amazon executives withdraw from the DevTernity conference?What was the response of the DevTernity organizer to the AI-generated speaker controversy?How did other speakers react to the revelation of the AI-generated speaker at DevTernity?What did Microsoft executive Scott Hanselman say about the incident?Has DevTernity been an online-only event since its inception?More about AI-generated controversy Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about AI-generated controversy Why did Microsoft and Amazon executives withdraw from the DevTernity conference? Microsoft and Amazon executives withdrew from the DevTernity conference after it was revealed that one of the female speakers on the agenda was a fake, artificially generated by AI. This raised concerns about the authenticity and diversity of the conference’s lineup. What was the response of the DevTernity organizer to the AI-generated speaker controversy? Eduards Sizovs, the organizer of DevTernity, admitted on social media that one of the speakers was an AI-generated fake with a fabricated title. However, he denied that this was an attempt to disguise a lack of diversity among speakers and refused to apologize. How did other speakers react to the revelation of the AI-generated speaker at DevTernity? Other speakers, upon learning about the AI-generated speaker, promptly decided to withdraw from the virtual conference. They expressed concerns about the lack of genuine diversity and the misleading representation in the conference’s agenda. What did Microsoft executive Scott Hanselman say about the incident? Scott Hanselman, a Microsoft executive, stated that he was deceived by the inclusion of fake speakers and emphasized the importance of diversity in tech conference lineups. He reminded conference organizers of the abundance of diverse speakers available across various backgrounds. Has DevTernity been an online-only event since its inception? No, DevTernity was traditionally held annually in Riga, Latvia, but transitioned to an online-only format since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More about AI-generated controversy DevTernity Conference Controversy AI-Generated Speaker Scandal Diversity in Tech Conferences Microsoft and Amazon Executives Withdrawal Eduards Sizovs’ Response to AI Speaker Issue Scott Hanselman’s Statement on Conference Diversity You Might Be Interested In ‘Blue Beetle’ unseats ‘Barbie’ atop box office, ending four-week reign Lawsuit in Georgia Over Redistricting May Impact U.S. House Seat and State Legislature Control President Zelenskyy of Ukraine Announces Upcoming Replacement of Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov Indictment Leveled Against Hunter Biden on Federal Firearms Charges After Failed Plea Negotiations Springsteen Contemplates Mortality While His Songs Ignite Celebration at London Gig Floating Barrier on Rio Grande Sparks Humanitarian Concerns, Justice Department Warns Texas artificial intelligence ethicsdiversity in techGeneral NewsSocial mediatech conference scandalX Corp. Share 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Ethan Kim Follow Author Ethan Kim is a world news reporter who covers breaking news stories from around the globe. He has reported on everything from natural disasters to international conflicts, and he is dedicated to bringing his readers accurate and timely information. previous post Trump’s Legal Team Challenges Indictment, Claims Justifiable Election Doubts next post Mark Cuban Nears Sale of Dallas Mavericks to Las Vegas Sands Owners for $3.5 Billion, Insider Reveals You may also like Bookmark A woman who burned Wyoming’s only full-service abortion... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Argument over Christmas gifts turns deadly as 14-year-old... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Danny Masterson sent to state prison to serve... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Hong Kong man jailed for 6 years after... December 28, 2023 Bookmark AP concludes at least hundreds died in floods... December 28, 2023 Bookmark Live updates | Israeli forces raid a West... December 28, 2023 5 comments ConferenceWatcher November 29, 2023 - 1:36 pm Eduards Sizovs really dropped the ball here. Not cool to fake diversity, it’s a serious issue! Reply AI_Skeptic November 29, 2023 - 2:59 pm This is why I don’t trust AI, can’t even tell real from fake anymore. Where’s the authenticity? Reply DiversityMatters November 29, 2023 - 3:17 pm Kudos to the execs for standing up. It’s high time conferences took diversity seriously instead of these shortcuts. Reply TechGuru89 November 29, 2023 - 11:58 pm seriously? an AI speaker at a tech conf, what were they thinking! shows how far we need to go in terms of real diversity… Reply Cloud_Commentator November 30, 2023 - 12:23 am Wow, I can’t believe such a big event would do something like this. Makes you wonder what else is just smoke and mirrors in the tech world… Reply Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ
