"For 40 years I have been a proud valley resident. But I am increasingly appalled by how our tech leaders are shaping our future. And, more recently, embarrassed for the valley. The links to Jeffrey Epstein. The trips to Mar-a-Lago. The donation of millions for monuments to President Trump's ego. The failure to use power and technology to call out the cruelty and lies that are the backbone of the current administration."
"Silicon Valley became what it is today because Congress threw massive amounts of funding into research and development at the region's top universities, producing innovative entrepreneurs and a highly skilled workforce that is the envy of the world. I don't begrudge tech leaders their elite status. A part of the formula that made Silicon Valley what it is today is rewarding those who demonstrate great ingenuity, effort and business acumen with piles of money."
Silicon Valley's tech leaders are increasingly prioritizing personal and political influence over social responsibility, causing embarrassment and public backlash. Links to Jeffrey Epstein, trips to Mar-a-Lago, and donations for monuments to President Trump's ego exemplify problematic political entanglements. Many tech executives refuse to use their power and technology to confront cruelty and lies in national leadership. Tech firms are neglecting affordable housing, rising income inequality, AI's labor-market and societal impacts, and social media's harm to younger generations. The region's success depended on federal research funding and a social contract of communal responsibility that many leaders now violate.
Read at The Mercury News
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