After executives from Google, Facebook, and Twitter testified before Congress on the mounting evidence that the Russian government used social media channels to influence the 2016 presidential election, Kumail Nanjiani, a star of HBO’s tech satire “Silicon Valley,” offered his own startling observations on the role of responsibility in the tech world.
In a thread of tweets, the Pakistan-born actor shared his thoughts stemming from professional visits he made as research for the show, and his takeaway is that tech giants aren’t just shirking their social responsibilities — they’re not even considering them.
The brief missive encapsulates growing concerns amid an array of advancements that include artificial intelligence, the preponderance of automated bots on social media, and the reluctance of firms to take a clear stance against online harassment, bullying, and threats.
As we’ve seen for decades, technological advancements rapidly outpace the legislation governing them and will presumably continue to do so as innovation continues. However, in the absence of timely governmental regulation, Nanjiani grimly points out that the moral compass of the companies driving this change isn’t simply broken, but may not exist at all.
