Meta disbanded its Responsible AI division (RAI), leading some team members to get reassigned to the Generative AI product division and AI Infrastructure team.
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RAI Disbandment Caused By Ending 'Year of Efficiency'
During this year's February earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the restructuring is an effect as Facebook nears the end of its "year of efficiency." Over the months, Meta has been doing team mergers, redistribution, and layoffs.
Most members of the RAI team will be reassigned to the Generative AI product division, others will work on the AI Infrastructure team, as per the Meta spokesperson. Despite the unfortunate news, the company assured that it will continue to support "responsible AI development and use."
While the Generative AI team is fairly new, it has been dedicating months to developing products that can produce language and images that can mimic a human-made version. The team is one of Meta's efforts to catch up on the fast-paced AI race.
Crucial Role of Responsible AI Teams for Tech Companies
Big tech companies have been racing to lead the AI surge. Hence, it is crucial for companies to have a dedicated team that will address the ethical, technical, and social challenges that are often linked to developing AI tools.
With the increasing privacy concerns on AI, government agencies are now pushing hard toward AI regulations. Thus, having a team that will monitor the companies' aspirations will give an assurance that the regulations will be met and that users will be protected.
As for Meta, Zuckerberg already confirmed that AI will be the company's biggest investment for 2024. The company will be putting more focus on creating AI-core products but at the same time will continue its efforts to be responsible in using AI.
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