Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced he will host a series of public discussion on technology, its role in society and how it will shape the future.
Zuckerberg intends to cover issues such as the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market, free speech and political debate online and the development of online communities as part of his public appearances.
“Leaders, experts, and people in our community” will be involved in this public tour, he confirmed in a Facebook post.
New Year, New Zuck
The announcement forms part of Zuckerberg’s new year challenge, with previous challenges including learning Mandarin, visiting all of the US’ 50 states and running 365 miles.
Discussions hosted by Zuckerberg will be available to watch, either on Facebook, Instagram or “other media” sources, he confirmed.
This particular challenge for 2019, he conceded, will be difficult for him given his professional background as an engineer.
“I’m an engineer and I used to just build out my ideas and hope they’d mostly speak for themselves,” Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. “But given the importance of what we do, that doesn’t cut it anymore.”
The aim of this tour, he said, will be to engage in serious discussions about the future of technology, the pitfalls and how society can be affected by technological advances.
“So, I’m going to put myself out there more than I’ve been comfortable with and engage more in some of these debates about the future, the tradeoffs we face and where we want to go.
“I’m looking forward to another year of learning and personal improvement, and to discussing a lot of important questions with all of you!” he added.
Reaction
Zuckerberg received a significant amount of support on his announcement post, which generated around 60,000 ‘likes’ in under 24-hours.
However, some users took the opportunity to question why he isn’t addressing more pressing issues, such as how Facebook uses customer data.
The top-ranked reply on Zuckerberg’s post, from a user named Gus Frinjs, read: “We just need you to stop selling our data with your friends…that’s all.”
Other expletive-laden replies suggested: “Just keep my shit secure and don’t ******* sell it to a 3rd party.”
Read more: ICO Fines Facebook £500,000 Over Cambridge Analytica Scandal
The announcement follows reports that the social media giant has broken cybersecurity legislation by allowing anti-government posts on the platform.
The Vietnam News Agency said Facebook had failed to respond to government requests that it remove fan pages “provoking activities against the state.”
The firm said it has worked alongside Vietnamese authorities to ensure it is compliant with the country’s laws.
“We have a clear process for governments to report illegal content to use and we review all these requests against our terms of service and local law,” a spokesperson said.