The Rundown: Meta … Is there a “Culture of Fear”.

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Meta’s AI division just got called out from the inside — and the diagnosis is terminal. A departing scientist compared the culture to “metastatic cancer” in a scathing internal essay, detailing deep cultural issues that no amount of hiring or superintelligence divisions may be able to overcome.

Reminder: Our next workshop is today at 4:00 PM EST — join and learn to confidently install and use the Gemini CLI to boost productivity from the command line. RSVP here. In today’s AI rundown:Ex-Meta researcher calls out ‘culture of fear’Google’s powerful new open medical AI modelsGet up-to-date API information for AI coding toolsStudy: Why do some AI models fake alignment4 new AI tools & 4 job opportunities
LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMETA🤖 Ex-Meta researcher calls out ‘culture of fear’
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The Rundown: A departing Meta AI scientist posted a long internal essay comparing the company’s culture to “metastatic cancer,” according to The Information — describing the AI unit as plagued by fear, confusion, and a lack of direction.The details: Tijmen Blankevoort, who worked on the LLaMA models, said that most Meta AI employees feel unmotivated with little clarity about the division’s mission. He blamed the “culture of fear” on frequent performance reviews and layoffs, which he said undermine creativity and morale across the 2,000-person AI unit. Blankevoort said Meta leadership reached out to him “very positively” following the post, expressing eagerness to address the issues he raised.The essay comes as Meta launches its Superintelligence unit, hiring top AI talent from OAI, Apple, and other rivals with massive compensation offers.

Why it matters: During Meta’s poaching spree, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that Meta’s tactics would create “deep cultural problems” — but this essay shows they might have already been simmering even without the new hires. However, a new division with fresh leadership might be the drastic move needed to address the issues.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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