Meta Creates All-Male Tech Advisory Group to Consult With ...
Meta recently announced the formation of a new product advisory council, known as the Meta Advisory Group. This comes six months after the company disbanded its Responsible AI division. The purpose of the Meta Advisory Group is to "periodically consult with" Meta's management team regarding new technologies and products. The group is comprised of four male executives:
- Patrick Collison, CEO of the payment platform Stripe
- Nat Friedman, former CEO of GitHub
- Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify
- Charlie Songhurst, former Microsoft executive
New Focus on Artificial Intelligence
The announcement of the advisory council follows Meta's commitment to significant investments in artificial intelligence (AI), as highlighted during the company's first-quarter earnings report. Despite acknowledging that these investments may take time to yield returns, CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized Meta's dedication to advancing AI technologies.
As major tech companies continue to allocate substantial resources to AI initiatives, concerns around governance, data privacy, ethics, and safety have been raised within the industry. There is a growing sentiment that existing programs designed to regulate AI have not kept pace with rapid technological advancements.
Diversity and Representation
Notably, all four members of the new advisory group are white males with similar backgrounds in the tech industry. This has sparked discussions about the lack of diversity in terms of gender, race, and professional experiences among the council members.
Several tech investors have pointed out the lack of representation within the advisory group, contrasting with the fact that only four out of Meta's 11 board members are women.
Introducing the Members of the Advisory Group:
Patrick Collison: Co-founder of Stripe, a leading online payment platform that has gained significant traction since its inception. Collison also co-founded the Arc Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on biomedical research.
Nat Friedman: A seasoned tech investor who previously served as the CEO of GitHub. Friedman is actively involved in supporting startups in the AI sector through his fund, AI Grant.
Tobi Lütke: Founder and CEO of Shopify, a prominent e-commerce company. Lütke's leadership at Shopify has been instrumental in the company's growth and success.
Charlie Songhurst: An angel investor and former Microsoft executive with a wealth of experience in the tech industry. Songhurst has made significant investments in numerous startups globally.
