Civil rights attorney Michele Jawando has been promoted from president to CEO of Omidyar Network, where she aims to bring greater inclusivity to the rapidly evolving AI era.
On March 11, the philanthropic group founded by billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar announced that Jawando will begin her new role as CEO next month, the Associated Press reports. “Our focus will be making sure that there is a much more diverse set of views and people and coalitions and voices shaping the moments, the opportunities, and the rules for the AI era,” Jawando said in a statement.
A civil rights lawyer and former Google executive who oversaw the company’s public policy partnerships, Jawando will now lead one of the best-funded technology organizations working to broaden influence over how artificial intelligence is developed, deployed, and regulated beyond Silicon Valley.
“I just want people to feel agency and power in this moment,” she said. “I hate the fact that most people feel like this technology is happening to them.”
Jawando’s appointment comes at a time when the philanthropic sector has been watching closely as the Trump administration clashed with Anthropic after the firm declined to allow the federal government unrestricted military use of its technology. The dispute highlights Jawando’s view that a small group of companies should not be responsible for setting the guardrails around what she described as “really powerful super-tools.”
Omidyar Network has recently sharpened its focus on artificial intelligence, launching a $30 million generative AI portfolio to address what leaders see as gaps in philanthropy’s engagement with the rapidly evolving technology. While philanthropic groups often lack the financial power and political influence of AI companies valued in the hundreds of billions—many of which have secured favorable policies under Trump—Jawando said her role will be to build stronger connections across philanthropy and ensure the perspectives of working people are included in shaping the future of AI.
“The responsible and safe use of AI shouldn’t be just one company’s mantra,” Jawando said. “It’s not that some companies are too responsible and others aren’t. It’s just that we don’t have a public governance framework.”
Outgoing CEO Mike Kubzansky praised Jawando’s appointment, highlighting her role as co-chair of a philanthropic coalition committing $500 million to AI initiatives that prioritize the public interest. He also credited her with bringing new funders into the space, including the Doris Duke Foundation and the Lumina Foundation.
“She rarely jumps to the oppositional card first,” he said. “She finds new partners for us and she brings people along.”
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