Meta announced the formation of a product advisory council on Wednesday, six months after it disbanded its Responsible AI division. The council will consist of four men who will consult periodically with Meta's management team regarding new technologies and products, as stated on the group's website.
Meta Advisory Group Members
The Meta Advisory Group includes four executives: Patrick Collison, CEO of payment platform Stripe, Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub, Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, and Charlie Songhurst, former Microsoft executive.
Unpaid and Independent
The members of the council will not receive payment and will operate independently from Meta's board of directors, according to a spokesperson for the company as reported by Bloomberg.
Continued AI Investments
Following Meta's first-quarter earnings announcement, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company will persist in substantial AI investments, even if the returns take time to materialize.
Concerns in the Industry
With Big Tech investing heavily in AI, concerns about governance, data privacy, ethics, and safety risks have been raised. Critics point out that existing programs to regulate AI have not kept pace with rapid innovations.
Lack of Diversity
The composition of the new council, comprising all white males with similar tech backgrounds, has sparked criticism about gender, racial diversity, and professional representation. Tech investors have highlighted the lack of diversity in the council's makeup.
New Advisory Group Members
Patrick Collison: Co-founder of Stripe in 2010, Collison's company provides software for businesses to connect with payment systems. Stripe, used by Meta since 2014, is currently valued at $65 billion. Collison is also involved in the Arc Institute, a biomedical research nonprofit.
Nat Friedman: Former CEO of GitHub, Friedman is a tech investor and co-founder of California YIMBY. He is a board member of Collison's Arc Institute and funds startups in the AI sector through AI Grant.
Tobi Lütke: Founder and CEO of Shopify, Lütke sits on the board of Coinbase. He recently restricted employees' side projects to prioritize company focus.
Charlie Songhurst: A tech investor and former Microsoft executive, Songhurst has invested in numerous startups globally and serves as an angel investor and partner at various investment firms.
Meta did not respond to requests for comments regarding the council's composition.
Source: Business Insider
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By: shubhangigoel@insider.com (Shubhangi Goel)
Title: Meta Forms Product Advisory Council Six Months After Disbanding Responsible AI Division
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/meta-new-advisory-group-four-men-tech-executives-diversity-representation-2024-5
Published Date: Thu, 23 May 2024 04:57:07 +0000
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