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ByteDance sacks intern for sabotaging AI project

(www.bbc.com)
192 points beedeebeedee | 3 comments | 21 Oct 24 03:21 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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peterkos ◴[21 Oct 24 04:04 UTC] No.41900587[source]▶
I'm reminded of a time that an intern took down us-east1 on AWS, by modifying a configuration file they shouldn't have had access to. Amazon (somehow) did the correct thing and didn't fire them -- instead, they used the experience to fix the security hole. It was a file they shouldn't have had access to in the first place.

If the intern "had no experience with the AI lab", is it the right thing to do to fire them, instead of admitting that there is a security/access fault internally? Can other employees (intentionally, or unintentionally) cause that same amount of "damage"?

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bawolff ◴[21 Oct 24 05:59 UTC] No.41901069[source]▶
There is a huge difference between someone making a mistake and someone intentionally sabotaging.

You're not firing the person because they broke stuff, you are firing them because they tried to break stuff. If the attempt was a failure and caused no harm, you would still fire them. Its not about the damage they caused its that they wanted to cause damage.

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1. ozim ◴[21 Oct 24 06:08 UTC] No.41901122[source]▶
But for damaging company assets on purpose firing is only first step.

I do not see any mention of other legal action and article is shallow.

It might’ve been that someone in command chain called it “malicious” to cover up his own mistakes. I think that is parent poster point while writing out Amazon story.

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2. bawolff ◴[21 Oct 24 06:12 UTC] No.41901143[source]▶
Maybe, but without any other info, i kind of have to take the info provided at face value. Like obviously if the article is inaccurate the whole situation should be viewed differently.
3. andmarios ◴[21 Oct 24 10:49 UTC] No.41902755[source]▶
The article says:

  As well as firing the person in August, ByteDance said it had informed the intern's university and industry bodies about the incident.