Meta created an AI advisory council that’s composed entirely of White men

Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men.

Meta this week appointed a group of outside advisors to provide guidance on its artificial intelligence strategy. The four-person advisory group is composed entirely of White men. The tech giant said the group, which includes tech entrepreneurs and investors, will periodically consult with Meta’s management “on strategic opportunities related to our technology and product roadmap.” The move comes as Meta plans to invest tens of billions of dollars this year in AI infrastructure, research and product development. The council includes Patrick Collison, the co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Stripe; Nat Friedman, the tech investor and former CEO of GitHub; Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of online shopping firm Shopify; and Charlie Songhurst, the tech investor who formerly led corporate strategy and drove several key acquisitions at Microsoft. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the group will not be paid. Despite the group’s significant combined experience, Meta is already taking heat for failing to include women or people of color — or anyone else outside of the wealthy, White, male, Silicon Valley mold — in a group advising one of the world’s most powerful tech companies on a revolutionary new technology. The members of the group are also all in their 30s or 40s. The situation mirrors an incident last year at OpenAI when, in the wake of a leadership shakeup, it came under fire for appointing a board composed entirely of White men. Months later, OpenAI added three women directors to the board. Artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt nearly every area of life in coming years, from how we get hired and work to how we consume entertainment or search for information.