This article comes fromThis article comes from(Nikkei Asian Review), original author: Kellchi Murayama
Odaily Translator |
Odaily Translator |Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that after a series of serious scandals eroded people's trust in the company,
The company known for "moving fast and breaking things" is turning to a "wait and see, act later" approach to rolling out new technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and cryptocurrencies.
"It's true that Facebook and other large Internet companies have been at the center of many important social issues over the past few years," Zuckerberg told the Nikkei Asian Review in an exclusive interview at Facebook's headquarters in Silicon Valley.
Zuckerberg acknowledged that Facebook is falling behind in some of the work it needs to do in areas such as protecting privacy, ensuring user well-being and preventing election meddling.
The social media giant has been grappling with the fallout from its unprecedented growth and the rise of the data economy it has pioneered. Issues including the Cambridge Analytica data breach and the spread of "fake news" that threatens democracy have sparked anger and mistrust among many users.
During the interview, Zuckerberg, donning his signature T-shirt, jeans and sneakers, struggled to shed his "sabotage" image and showed that he and Facebook had matured and learned from the challenges.
Zuckerberg said the company had undergone a "significant shift in focus" to address risk in a more proactive manner.
"In the past, our approach was more of -- well, let's build a tool. If we see people using something in a bad way, we'll try to stop it."
"But I think what's happening right now is that there are so many people using these tools that we can't wait until something is released and then start working on reducing the bad use of it. We have to get ahead of it."
To that end, he called for measures such as building artificial intelligence systems to help identify and remove potentially dangerous content, rather than waiting for users to report it.
"However, I also want to make sure we continue to innovate and advance the state of the art as we tackle these major societal issues."
Zuckerberg elaborated on his vision to use virtual and augmented reality to transform communication as part of Facebook's stated mission to help people connect. "For the first time, technology makes you feel like you're with another person," he said.
This technology also applies to the workplace. Zuckerberg explained: "There is talent everywhere, but opportunities are very concentrated, usually in cities. But in the future, with VR technology. I think you can choose where you want to live, what kind of neighborhood you want to live in, But you can get the kind of opportunity you want anywhere. And I do think it will have a profoundly equalizing effect on society and be very important to the economy as a whole."
But at the same time, concerns have been raised about the amount of data that virtual reality systems can collect on users' body and eye movements. Zuckerberg sought to assuage those concerns by explaining that Facebook's privacy model for hardware like the Oculus Rift VR headset is different from that for some other services, with much information stored on the device itself rather than online.
Facebook's plans to create the Libra cryptocurrency have also left authorities in many countries concerned about its potential impact on the global financial system. Zuckerberg pitched the cryptocurrency as a way to help people in emerging economies participate in the financial system. He also stressed the need for dialogue with regulators to address this unease.
"Many people have questions and concerns, and we are committed to making sure all of these are addressed before progress can be made."
When asked about Facebook's 2020 (Libra) launch plans, the CEO sidestepped the question. "Obviously, we want to make progress in the near future rather than having this take years to roll out," Zuckerberg said. "But right now I'm really focused on making sure we can get this right."
