Silicon Valley shrugs off Big Tech’s AI interest conflict.

• Corporate governance experts have raised concerns about conflicts of interest on Big Tech boards as directors Marc Andreessen and Reid Hoffman have invested in startup rivals.
• Microsoft board member and Greylock Partners venture capitalist Reid Hoffman recently co-founded Inflection AI, which is developing large language models that compete with OpenAI’s models, which power Microsoft’s AI companions. Hoffman also joined the board of Greylock investment Tome AI during its 2021 seed round; TomeAI develops a presentation tool that rivals Microsoft’s PowerPoint.
• Marc Andreessen sits on Meta’s board but his venture firm, Andreessen Horowitz, has invested in OpenAI, Mistral AI, and Character AI, which all compete with Meta’s AI efforts.

Despite the potential conflicts of interest, corporate law and governance experts suggest such situations are not necessarily fatal to board membership in and of itself. Instead, they reveal a recurring practice where board members identify and disclose the conflict, and recuse themselves from voting or discussing matters in relation to the conflicted company. However, these conflicts challenge corporate governance principles and pose potential risks, especially in situations where larger corporations opt to acquire smaller rivals.

Some argue that these conflicts could lead to shareholder dissatisfaction and legal ramifications, particularly if board members are believed to be acting in their own interests above those of the shareholders. Despite this, experiences in Silicon Valley suggest that the risks associated with potential conflicts of interest are frequently cast aside.

One viewpoint asserts that the diffusion of knowledge between companies creates value. However, others caution against serving multiple interests, stating that from a strict governance perspective, one cannot serve two masters. Given the convergence of views, companies are forced to assess whether the benefits of having industry insiders on their boards outweigh the risks associated with potential conflicts of interest.

Balancing corporate governance principles alongside strategic goals remains a challenge, particularly as Big Tech continues to push the boundary of AI development.