Meta sheds dedicated Responsible AI team in human resources re-shuffle

The stated "mission to help ensure that AI at Meta benefits people and society" seems to have encountered a setback in that the team originally formed to reinforce that goal has been disbanded. 

The news may seem a worrying sign that Mark Zuckerberg's company will continue to develop AI tools with less regard as to their potential impact on humanity, society and the world in general. However, the members of the Responsible AI team will reportedly be kept on at the company.

They have simply been re-distributed across other teams, mostly involved in generative AI products (such as the chatbot Meta AI) and those involved in "AI infrastructure".

There is no word to date on whether the former Responsible AI team members will fulfil their original remit in full, which included "regular collaboration with subject matter experts, policy stakeholders and people with lived experiences...to help ensure our ML systems are designed and used responsibly" in their new work environments.

Then again, a company spokesperson has asserted that they "will continue to support relevant cross-Meta efforts on responsible AI development and use".

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