"A spokesperson for Pinterest said: Two engineers wrote custom scripts improperly accessing confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees and then shared it more broadly. This was a clear violation of Pinterest policy and of their former colleagues' privacy. It is unclear whether the engineers, who have not been named, shared the information with colleagues, or with people outside Pintrest."
"The script a set of commands written to automate a task within existing software or change its function was aimed at internal tools for workers to communicate, the BBC reported, citing an anonymous source. The source, whom the BBC said was familiar with the firings, said the code created an alert as to which employee names were being removed or deactivated."
"Pinterest has been investing heavily in AI to create more personalised content for its users and automated tools for marketers. But shares in the company have dropped by more than 20% this year as investors weigh the threat from more advanced AI platforms. Ready said in a company-wide meeting that while healthy debate and dissent are expected, that's how we make our decisions, according to CNBC, which first reported the news."
Pinterest cut about 15% of its workforce, roughly 700 employees, while the CEO focused the company on an AI-forward strategy. Two engineers wrote custom scripts that improperly accessed confidential company data to identify locations and names of dismissed employees and then shared that information more broadly, violating company policy and former colleagues' privacy. It remains unclear whether the information was shared internally or externally. The script targeted internal communication tools and generated alerts when employee names were removed or deactivated. Pinterest continues heavy investment in AI amid a share-price decline exceeding 20% this year.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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