Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the formation of a product advisory council, known as the Meta Advisory Group, on Wednesday. This move comes six months after the disbanding of Meta’s Responsible AI division. The council includes four white male tech executives who will consult with Meta’s management team on new technologies and products without compensation.
The four members of the Meta Advisory Group are Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke, and former Microsoft executive Charlie Songhurst. They will operate separately from the board of directors and offer insights to Meta’s leadership on various technological advancements.
Although the new council reflects Meta’s commitment to investing in AI technologies, concerns about AI oversight, data privacy, ethics, and safety risks persist within the industry. The disbanding of Meta’s Responsible AI division, which had approximately 40 employees, raised questions about the company’s approach to regulating the safety of AI ventures.
Critics have pointed out the lack of diversity in the Meta Advisory Group, with all members being white male tech executives. This lack of representation has highlighted the need for greater gender and racial diversity in tech leadership positions. Despite having four women on its board of directors, Meta has faced scrutiny for the lack of diversity in its new advisory council.
As AI investments grow among Big Tech companies, the governance and oversight of these technologies have become increasingly important. The formation of the Meta Advisory Group signals Meta’s efforts to engage with industry experts and address critical issues surrounding the development and deployment of AI technologies.