Meta has appointed Rachel Song, a prominent AI researcher and co-founder of Virtue AI, as the vice president of AI research at its Superintelligence Labs. Song’s appointment comes amid significant advancements in AI technology, with Meta looking to harness her expertise in AI safety and security.
Earlier this month, UC Berkeley’s Centre for Responsible, Decentralised Intelligence (RDI) introduced Agents’ Last Exam (ALE), a benchmark that evaluates AI agents across more than 1,500 real world tasks from 55 industries. This test aims to measure the effectiveness of AI agents in economically valuable domains.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, now known as Summer Davos, Song emphasized that the primary goal is not to replace human workers but rather to enhance their capabilities and economic value through improved AI performance. “We want these AI agents to be more effective in important real world domains and help humans do this work better,” she said.
Song, a professor of computer science at UC Berkeley and co-director of RDI, highlighted the importance of developing AI that can contribute positively to society. “The goal is not to replace humans,” Song explained, adding, “But we want these AI agents to be more effective in these important real world domains and help humans do this work better and provide more economic value.”
As a renowned expert in AI security and co-founder of Virtue AI, a startup focused on enterprise AI safety, Song’s role at Meta is crucial. She will join the company’s Superintelligence Labs soon after completing her current commitments with UC Berkeley.
Song announced her appointment on X (now known as Xi), stating that she would be joining Meta to help shape its AI safety and security efforts alongside “many members of the Virtue AI team.” This move underscores Meta’s commitment to fostering a safer and more secure artificial intelligence environment, particularly as benchmarks like ALE highlight the increasing importance of real world AI performance.
With Song’s expertise, Meta is positioning itself at the forefront of responsible AI development. As she transitions from her role at UC Berkeley to Meta, the company is expected to make significant strides in advancing AI research and ensuring its applications benefit society.
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