The recent circulation of a lengthy 75,000-word resignation letter titled "Inside DingTalk" on social media has sparked debate over the platform's intensive management practices.
Following the announcement that DingTalk founder Chen Hang (nickname "Wuzhao") has stepped down as CEO, succeeded by the technically-focused 1992-born Chen Yusen, the author of the "Inside DingTalk" letter—a product manager for the DingTalk ONE project—has posted a follow-up response to the ongoing public discussion.
She explained that her initial post upon leaving was a result of deep reflection, feeling that large organizations face many common, systemic issues during the construction of AI, which are not limited to DingTalk, Alibaba, or even the domestic market. Her internal message was driven by a simple wish: that colleagues who read it could proactively avoid potential pitfalls in AI product development, conserve valuable time, and place greater focus on the individuals involved.
Addressing the debate sparked by her writing, she believes it primarily highlights a shared dilemma in AI development. This is a universal challenge not confined to DingTalk; during the current chaotic and oscillatory phase of AI, as new product forms are still being explored, it is a period of transition and shortage. Setting aside emotional factors, many explorations within the ONE project were not without merit, and this perspective might help some peers save on exploration costs.
Secondly, she points out that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) aims to reduce working hours. "The industry talks about AGI every day, but why pursue it? What is the essence of AGI?" She posits two main goals. Scientifically, it is to amplify civilization's capabilities and solve currently intractable problems. Humanistically, it is to liberate people from mechanical, repetitive, and dangerous work, freeing up time for more personalized pursuits in aesthetics, emotion, exploration, and creativity.
She concludes, "In the long term, there will be far fewer repetitive tasks requiring human effort, and creative work does not primarily compete on specific hours invested; new work routines are a long-term trend. The ineffective, formalized work hours that previously existed within organizations not only consume human resources but also run counter to the original intent of technological development."
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