DEI Tech Critics Elon Musk and Others Move Toward “MEI” Approach  

Alexandr Wang, cofounder and CEO of Scale AI, introduced a new hiring principle called ‘MEI,’ which stands for merit, excellence, and intelligence. This approach focuses on selecting the best candidates based on merit alone.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives aim to ensure equal opportunities and representation for all candidates, regardless of their race, gender, or background. These programs strive to create inclusive workplaces where everyone feels valued and respected.

‘MEI,’ short for merit, excellence, and intelligence, is a hiring principle coined by Alexandr Wang of Scale AI. MEI emphasizes hiring based solely on an individual’s merit and capabilities, without considering demographic factors.

Wang’s stance on MEI has received praise from several business leaders who have previously criticized DEI programs. Elon Musk, Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire, and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong are among those who support Wang’s approach.

Wang joins the cast of Silicon Valley insiders who have spoken out against DEI in recent months who feel that social movements like Black Lives Matter have created a backslide in corporate profitability.

“DEI must DIE. The point was to end discrimination, not replace it with different discrimination,” Musk recently tweeted before responding to himself saying, “‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’ are propaganda words for racism, sexism, and other -isms.

But Wang emphasizes that MEI does not mean ignoring people who come from diverse or underrepresented communities. “We treat everyone as an individual. We do not unfairly stereotype, tokenize, or otherwise treat anyone as a member of a demographic group rather than as an individual.”

The concept of meritocracy is deeply ingrained in the American dream, where anyone can succeed through hard work and talent.

Wang underscored in his message, also uploaded to Musk’s X, formerly known as X, that the hiring process under MEI will not conflict with diversity.

Adia Wingfield, a professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, emphasizes that the notion of a past meritocracy is flawed. Historically, underrepresented groups were often excluded from job opportunities.

DEI experts agree that hiring the best candidate for the job is crucial. Natalie Johnson from DEI consulting firm Paradigm notes that many aspects of Wang’s MEI approach align with DEI goals.

Wang’s belief in completely objective hiring is challenged by experts who point out that biases are inevitable. Lisa Simon from Revelio Labs argues that without DEI policies, hiring practices would revert to favoring candidates who resemble the hiring managers.

Research has shown that promoting meritocracy alone can lead to unintended biases. A study published in Administrative Science Quarterly found that organizations emphasizing meritocracy showed bias towards men over equally performing women in performance evaluations.

Women made up just 30% of global AI roles in 2023. The AI industry, known for its lack of diversity, holds significant influence over the future of technology.

In his blog post, Wang stated, “We hire only the best person for the job, we seek out and demand excellence, and we unapologetically prefer people who are very smart.”

The debate between MEI and DEI underscores the need to balance merit and diversity in hiring practices. While merit-based hiring is essential, it must be coupled with efforts to address historical inequalities and biases.

“The post is misguided because people who support the meritocracy argument are ignoring the structural reasons some groups are more likely to outperform others,” Mutale Nkonde, a founder working in AI policy, told TechCrunch.

While MEI can benefit companies that are looking for the smartest people who can push a company forward, Fortune notes that Wang could be under the impression that hiring managers are free from biases when selecting the best person for the job.

“People that think that we’re over the hill when it comes to diversity and inclusion, both from a racial as well as gender perspective, are delusional,” Lisa Simon, chief economist at people analytics platform Revelio Labs, told Fortune.

HR professional at the AI startup Hugging Face, Emily Witko, also warns that MEI could be a “dangerous oversimplification” for hiring managers.

Natalie Sue Johnson, co-founder of the DEI consulting firm Paradigm, said that meritocracy shouldn’t be a focus for companies as it leads to an increase in hiring bias.

Hiring managers are supposed to use DEI efforts to look at the talent pool without bias and foster a positive, diverse working environment where everyone can thrive and push the company’s goals forward.

In 2023, the U.S. data industry saw new women recruit levels drop by two-thirds, from 36% in 2022 to just 12%, according to a report from HR staffing firm Harnham.

Silicon Valley prides itself on being data-driven, but it cannot seem to look at the data and research that shows how a belief system like MEI can lead to biased outcomes. Research has shown that diverse teams perform better.