Venture capitalists’ role as funding source and mentor of tech start-ups makes them uniquely placed to press for more responsible use of technology.
When whistleblower Frances Haugen revealed last year that Facebook knew about the impact of its products on teenagers and the extent of misinformation on its platforms, it was only the latest, albeit devastating, warning of the harm technologies once hailed as transformative can inflict if not properly harnessed. Lawmakers and regulators from Europe, the Middle East and the United States are preparing to enact more regulations to hold Big Tech to account, but venture capital has a unique role to play in keeping artificial intelligence ethical – today and in the future.
