Meta’s “Responsible Innovation Team,” a group that aims to address the “possible harm to society” caused by Facebook products, is no more. While most team members will continue to work on Meta, this group will no longer work and is being terminated.
According to a 2021 blog post by Facebook Vice President Margaret Stewart, the Responsible Innovation team was first formed a few years ago. The team consisted of engineers as well as people with a background in civil rights and ethics, and advised the company’s product teams on “potential harm in a wide range of societal issues and dilemmas.” However, the manager of the team, Zvika Krieger, left the company earlier this year.
The Responsible Innovation Team is not the only one Meta has deployed. Earlier this summer, Meta recruited the Responsible AI group to its Social Impact team and reorganized its entire AI team. Meta has also canceled some projects in its Reality Labs division and slowed its hiring, amid rumors of possible layoffs. The reason for this is thought to be to reduce costs, as the company’s revenues began to decline for the first time in its history.
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