In a reported ‘restructuring’ move, Meta is said to have disbanded its Responsible AI (RAI) team, redirecting resources toward the development of generative artificial intelligence. The Information broke the news today, citing insights from an internal post it had accessed.
According to the report, a majority of RAI team members are slated to transition to Meta’s generative AI product team, while others will contribute to the company’s broader AI infrastructure initiatives.
Despite this reshuffling, Meta spokesperson Jon Carvill emphasized the continued commitment to prioritizing and investing in the safe and responsible development of AI.
Carvill stated that although the team is being reallocated, its members will persist in supporting cross-Meta initiatives focused on responsible AI development and utilization.
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has consistently asserted its dedication to responsible AI practices. The company’s official page outlines its “pillars of responsible AI,” encompassing accountability, transparency, safety, privacy, and more.
The Information’s report also highlighted an earlier restructuring move this year, detailed by Business Insider, which included layoffs and reportedly left the RAI team significantly diminished.
According to the report, the RAI team, established in 2019, faced challenges in autonomy, requiring extensive stakeholder negotiations for the implementation of its initiatives.
Originally formed to scrutinize AI training methodologies, RAI aimed to identify issues in Meta’s training approaches, ensuring diverse information input to prevent moderation problems on its platforms.
Instances of challenges on Meta’s social platforms, including a Facebook translation issue leading to a false arrest, biased images generated by WhatsApp AI stickers underscored the significance of responsible AI practices.
Meta’s strategic shift comes amid a global backdrop of governments racing to establish regulatory frameworks for the development of artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, Microsoft also undertook a similar restructuring.
The U.S. government entered agreements with AI companies, with President Biden subsequently directing government agencies to formulate AI safety rules. Concurrently, the European Union has published its AI principles, facing ongoing challenges in passing its AI Act.
As the landscape of AI development undergoes significant shifts, Meta‘s reallocation of resources reflects the evolving priorities and challenges in the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence technologies. The global regulatory environment for AI continues to evolve, with companies adapting their strategies to align with emerging standards and expectations.
Companies like Meta and Microsoft are bolstering their artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. Meanwhile, the buzz around AI tech is going on at high pace and so is the call for regulation. Leading countries United States, United Kingdom, China, European Union, and others continue to work on the right regulatory framework for the cutting edge tech before it goes out of control and becomes a threat.
Steefan George is a crypto and blockchain enthusiast, with a remarkable grasp on market and technology. Having a graduate degree in computer science and an MBA in BFSI, he is an excellent technology writer at The Coin Republic. He is passionate about getting a billion of the human population onto Web3. His principle is to write like “explaining to a 6-year old”, so that a layman can learn the potential of, and get benefitted from this revolutionary technology.
Source: https://www.thecoinrepublic.com/2023/11/19/meta-shifts-from-responsible-ai-to-gen-ai-amid-global-regulation/