Significant Investment in Sentient’s AI Development
Founders Fund has co-led an $85 million investment in Sentient, an open-source AI development platform built on Polygon. This platform aims to democratize AI development, countering dominance by tech giants like Google and Meta.
Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, along with Pantera Capital and Framework Ventures, led the seed round investment. Other contributors include Ethereal, Robot Ventures, Symbolic Capital, and Delphi.
Utilization of Funds
The funds will be used to:
- Build out the platform
- Hire AI research and blockchain engineering experts
- Establish partnerships with leading academic institutions and industry players
Sentient’s goal is to provide an open-source platform for AI research and development that aligns AI innovations with community-built open AGI.
Decentralization and Equitable Distribution
Sandeep Nailwal, Polygon co-founder and Sentient core contributor, emphasized the risks posed by the concentration of power in a few centralized entities. He highlighted the importance of distributing AI benefits equitably and ensuring its development aligns with humanity’s interests.
Pramod Viswanath, a core contributor and engineering professor at Princeton University, echoed these sentiments. He stressed the dangers of a few companies controlling AI services and advocated for a community-driven approach. While some AI aspects, like inference, require significant computing power, other areas can thrive with diverse contributions.
Viswanath introduced the concept of new property rights in AI. He argued that community ownership and returning economic value for contributions are crucial. By respecting property rights and aligning incentives, Sentient aims to distribute power more fairly and ensure the benefits of AI reach a broader audience.
This new approach to property rights in AI is vital for maintaining the technology’s alignment with human interests. The goal is not to decentralize AI development entirely but to ensure a fair distribution of power and benefits.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Sentient plans to collaborate with leading academic institutions and industry players to advance its mission. These partnerships are expected to bring together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders to contribute to the platform’s development and ensure it remains open and accessible.
The involvement of prominent investors and industry leaders underscores the significance of Sentient’s initiative. Attracting substantial funding and support positions Sentient to make meaningful progress in developing open AGI.
Despite the promising outlook, Sentient acknowledges the challenges associated with its mission. Decentralizing certain AI processes, such as inference, presents practical difficulties due to the significant computing power required. However, Sentient remains committed to overcoming these challenges and advancing its vision of a community-driven AI platform. The company believes that diverse opinions and contributions can drive innovation.
