Center for Humane Technology lays off staff and shifts to founder-led work

In short: The Center for Humane Technology is laying off about half of its non-founder staff and narrowing its work to projects led by its founders.

What happened

The Center for Humane Technology, a nonprofit cofounded by Tristan Harris, is laying off about half of its 16 non-founder employees, according to former staff members who spoke to Wired. The group was featured in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.

Former staffers said nine people are leaving, including executive director Julie Guirado and senior director of strategy Camille Carlton. The organization recently had courtroom wins tied to lawsuits against social media companies, including cases based on research claiming platforms were designed to keep kids on their screens.

The nonprofit’s board said it will end work such as policy research, helping with litigation, and evaluating AI tools. Instead, it plans to focus on what it calls “founder-led” efforts, including public education, targeted briefings, and private coordination. Think of it like a group choosing to spend less time writing detailed reports and more time sending its best spokesperson to meetings and interviews.

Board chair Premal Shah said the group is choosing “one strategy” in response to what it sees as rising AI risks. In recent years, Harris has spoken publicly about concerns that advanced AI could get out of human control, and the center has promoted petitions, helped organize a US Congress hearing about chatbots, and advised on some AI-related legal actions.

Why it matters

This shift could change how much independent research and legal support is available in debates over social media and AI safety. For the public, it may mean the organization spends more effort shaping public opinion and talking to decision-makers, and less effort producing detailed evidence used in courts and policy.

Source: Wired