Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, comes across as being somewhat robotic in his speech pattern and delivery; often appearing to follow an approved script provided by his PR team.
Last week, he appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast for an almost 3-hour discussion about metaverse theory and Facebook’s content moderation policies – sparking fierce reactions from many listeners.
What he’s working on
Even as Facebook stock slips lower, VR head Mark Zuckerberg remains bullish about virtual reality’s future – something which will eventually allow workers to visit work as virtual holograms rather than people. He recently appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast where he expressed this optimism for immersive virtual reality (VR).
He did not reveal pricing details, but did indicate that Meta’s next-generation headset will be released around October, coinciding with their annual VR developer conference Connect. It is expected to feature advanced eye and facial tracking technology.
Zuckerberg discussed his love of jujitsu as well. He has been training with Khai “The Shadow” Wu, a 27-year-old fighter set to compete in Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 5 this Saturday. Zuckerberg posted an Instagram video showcasing him trading shots and kicks with Wu before locking in a half guard triangle choke hold that even impressed MMA commentators.
The two also discussed social media, which has evolved into an outlet for family photos, memes and, unfortunately, hate speech and extremism. Zuckerberg dismissed allegations that Facebook profits from political division, asserting that polarization in America had been increasing long before internet technology made such an impactful contribution to our lives. He stated that his company doesn’t seek to provoke anger in users but instead empower them.
What he’s thinking about
Rogan kept pressing Zuckerberg about Facebook’s content-moderation efforts throughout their interview, noting how its decision to limit access of an article about Hunter Biden in the final weeks leading up to the 2020 election was widely criticized by both sides of politics. To which Zuckerberg replied that Facebook should empower users rather than force its own opinions onto them; but at times making editorial judgements like not upranking violent material might also require making editorial judgements.
He discussed how the notion of filter bubbles had been disproven and most users experience a wide variety of opinions on Facebook. Meta spends $5 billion each year fighting misinformation; his life can sometimes become stressful because he needs to arbitrate between what’s allowed or not; but, ideally he doesn’t wish to do this too frequently.
He discussed his newfound enthusiasm for jiu-jitsu, posting a highlight reel of training sessions with Khai “The Shadow” Wu on Instagram last year. Additionally, he expressed that people don’t necessarily need to work in offices but will increasingly use technology that enables more mobile work arrangements – something which excites him about working with holograms in future projects.
What he’s worried about
Joe Rogan has long been known as an adept moderator on his podcasts, offering space to those peddling conspiracy theories while also knowing how to deflate them. When Meta’s former Facebook CEO appeared to discuss Project Cambria on Joe Rogan’s show, Rogan pointed out a flaw in its privacy features; specifically pointing out how its smart glasses flash an LED light when recording starts up; this allows people in public spaces to detect who might be watching or recording them easily.
Politics was then discussed, with Zuckerberg expressing some disquiet about the current political climate in America. He stated that social media’s increased role in amplifying extreme polarization. Additionally, he mentioned how two-party systems may not be ideal and open primaries might help smooth things over.
Zuckerberg discussed his approach to managing two large, successful, and publicly-traded companies with all their associated stresses. He shared how he absorbs all available information before engaging in physical activity – typically jujitsu for him – which allows his mind to rest. It can be hard to think while you focus on physical activities; therefore he has chosen not to run due to it requiring too much mental processing power.
What he’s excited about
Mark Zuckerberg tends to keep his personal life secretive. In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, however, he opened up about many topics, from his love of mixed martial arts to how he and wife Priscilla Chan celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary.
On September 3rd, Mark Zuckerberg posted a video to Instagram featuring himself training Jiu-Jitsu. UFC commentator Joe Rogan and other were very impressed with his skills despite not competing in MMA himself. While not competing professionally himself, Zuckerberg appears to be enjoying learning new skills while pushing himself physically.
He’s been trying to strike a balance in both his work and personal lives, such as spending time on his California ranch with his wife and taking long walks with their dogs. On social media he takes care to monitor Instagram Reels carefully in order to avoid negative content.
However, Meta is no stranger to criticism about social media’s addictive nature; in response to claims that Facebook and Instagram were harmful to mental health by rolling out features that track how long users spend on apps and encourage logging off or muting notifications, as well as working to make its metaverse more positive by building experiences where you can share things that are “positive and supportive,” telling Rogan that Meta was focused on “building experiences where you can share things with friends and family that promote positive feelings. He even modified their code so it doesn’t count angry reactions as engagement!