DEI? It’s more about ‘common decency,’ but Silicon Valley seems to be saying ‘no thanks’

I just came off recording an episode of Equity, where I learned about the newest wave of stupidity. The tech industry’s DEI allergy has hit a new low, as Silicon Valley leaders are once again waving their “meritocracy” banners high and wide. Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang has decided that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are passé — and replaced them with his shiny new acronym MEI: merit, excellence, and intelligence. I cringed so hard I’m going to need a chiropractor.

I would invite him — and those supporting him — to fuck all the way off. You misunderstand me. You thought I wanted you to fuck only partially the way off. Please, read my lips. I was perfectly clear: Off you fuck. All the way. Remove head from ignorant ass, then fuck all the way off.

Of course, the ignorance inspired enthusiastic applause from tech titans like Elon Musk on X, while LinkedIn’s startup crowd rolled their eyes so hard they were practically doing backflips.

Critics argue that Wang’s post misses the mark (no shit!) by ignoring systemic barriers and reducing complex social dynamics to a simplistic — and dangerously naive — ideal of meritocratic purity. Meanwhile, back at Scale AI’s headquarters, annotators in economically depressed regions toil away for pay that wouldn’t cover a decent brunch in Silicon Valley. But sure, let’s talk about how “objective” hiring practices will save us all from the tyranny of fairness and inclusion.