Tristan Harris’ Tech Nonprofit Is Laying Off Most Staff and Going ‘Founder-Led’
The Center for Humane Technology (CHT) is laying off most of its staff to transition into a 'founder-led' organization. The nonprofit, which has campaigned against the addictive design of social media, will now focus on high-level advocacy and public education regarding AI risks.
Why it matters
This restructuring reflects the challenges faced by advocacy groups in balancing operational growth with the need for agility in the rapidly evolving AI policy landscape.
The nine departures, which include executive director Julie Guirado and senior director of strategy Camille Carlton, arrive shortly after the center scored a series of major courtroom victories against social media companies. The lawsuits drew on its research alleging that the platforms were deliberately designed to keep kids glued to their screens.
But amid that success, internal debates had been brewing for years over the organization’s direction, according to 16 former workers, most of whom spoke with WIRED earlier this year on the condition of anonymity because they feared professional repercussions.
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