IBM’s human-centered approach is the only big tech blueprint startups should follow

I think referring to this approach as "human-centered" is misleading. Every person is different. You can't develop a product that considers every individual's needs - and it wouldn't be smart to try - that's what positioning is for: you identify your target market and you focus on building something that will somehow benefit them. It's a "target-user-approach" or a "target-customer-approach" or whatever you want to call it...but human-centered makes it sound like the company is doing some sort of good for the entire human collective, when in reality, as the article admits: "IBM will still be out here using our planet’s limited energy resources to develop solutions".

I know the article itself refers to AI startups specifically, but I see how it could apply to all.

"Under Dobrin’s leadership, the company’s cherry-picking datasets from a variety of sources and then applying internal terms and conditions to them prior to their integration into models or systems."

Similarly, the data any startup founder uses to develop and improve their product has to be selective. Focusing on increasing your number of users and reviews/feedback isn't going to help you move in the direction you want to go unless you're stringent about the users you attract and selective about the feedback you listen to.