In a significant move within the artificial intelligence landscape, former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear has embarked on a new venture, creating an AI startup named Stem AI. The endeavor, although currently in stealth mode, is drawing attention, particularly due to backing from the esteemed venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Stem AI emerged officially in June 2023, with Emmett Shear documented as the CEO through incorporation filings with the California Secretary of State. Following its incorporation, the startup filed for a trademark in August 2023, signaling its intentions to develop AI technology that harmonizes with human behavior, preferences, biology, morality, and ethics.
"Stem AI is developing software to create AI that ‘understands, cooperates with, and aligns with human behavior, human preferences, human biology, human morality, and human ethics.’” — Trademark Filing
Joining Shear at Stem AI is co-founder Adam Goldstein, recognized for his establishment of the travel search platform Hipmunk. Goldstein's extensive experience includes a role as a visiting partner at Y Combinator, and founding Astonishing Labs to support bio research. His academic pursuits at Tufts University’s Levin Labs focused on innovative biological models, particularly in oncology.
While specific details about Stem AI's strategic direction remain under wraps, Shear has been vocal on social media about AI's potential risks. He has critiqued existing AI regulatory proposals and expressed concerns about the evolution and moral alignment of AI technologies. His insights spotlight the possible development of Stem AI's approach to addressing these challenges.
"Almost all currently proposed [AI] regulation is a bad idea... Not being scared of [AI superintelligence] indicates either pessimism about [the] rate of future progress synthesizing digital intelligence, or severe lack of imagination about the power of intelligence." — Emmett Shear
Shear has also drawn parallels between current AI chatbots and psychological conditions, emphasizing their manipulative potential due to a lack of stable internal goals, highlighting a possible focus area for Stem AI in solving AI alignment issues.
Shear's history with Twitch and brief tenure at OpenAI illustrates his deep understanding of startups, technology leadership, and the intrinsic challenges associated with advanced AI systems. As a former interim CEO of ChatGPT’s creator OpenAI, Shear navigated critical organizational changes, emphasizing his influential position within the tech domain.
"I’m in favor of creating some kind of fire alarm, like maybe, ‘Not AIs bigger than ‘X,’” Shear explained, proposing international collaborations and treaties for AI safety.
Stem AI's introduction under Emmett Shear's guidance, with venture capital powerhouse a16z’s support, marks a pivotal development in AI's ever-evolving field. By addressing AI's alignment and ethical concerns, Shear aims to contribute meaningfully to a robust dialogue on AI safety and regulation, an area of notable concern for industry leaders and developers worldwide.
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