Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt To Launch AI-Science Moonshot (semafor.com) 5
An anonymous reader shares a report: Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is building an ambitious new organization to tackle scientific challenges with the help of artificial intelligence, according to people briefed on the plans. Schmidt has already hired two accomplished scientists to spearhead the nonprofit initiative: Samuel Rodriques, founder of the Applied Biotechnology Laboratory at the Francis Crick Institute; and Andrew White, a University of Rochester professor and a pioneer in the use of artificial intelligence in chemistry. People familiar with the plans say the effort is modeled after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which was founded with great fanfare as a philanthropic organization.
Schmidt wants the new nonprofit to become a big draw for top talent in science and AI, two areas that are converging to potentially create breakthroughs in everything from drug discovery to material sciences. Funding will come mostly from Schmidt's personal wealth, but outside funds may be necessary given the ambition of the project, people familiar with the plans said. Schmidt intends to offer competitive salaries and resources, in particular compute power that can be difficult to come by in academia. The project is still in the early stages, the people said, and exact plans could change.
Schmidt wants the new nonprofit to become a big draw for top talent in science and AI, two areas that are converging to potentially create breakthroughs in everything from drug discovery to material sciences. Funding will come mostly from Schmidt's personal wealth, but outside funds may be necessary given the ambition of the project, people familiar with the plans said. Schmidt intends to offer competitive salaries and resources, in particular compute power that can be difficult to come by in academia. The project is still in the early stages, the people said, and exact plans could change.
Seems like a worthy project for an Oligarch. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
The economy is facing some fairly intractable problems to come.
Theres an idea in Marxism (I know I know, put down the pitchfork and hear me out first) called a "contradiction in capitalism". The basic idea is that the two major interest groups in the economy's self interest manifest a set of contradicting impulses that end up mutually creating each other despite being in opposition.
Companies want to maximize profit and aquire more capital. Workers want to maximize income to purchase goods to improve their
Wealthy suit desperately wants to remain relevant (Score:3)
Title pretty much says it all. I would assume that even though you are a billionaire, once you are out of the corporate gig there just aren't that many people to suck up to you anymore. Sure you have your own personal staff and attendants, to kiss your derriere, but that's not really the same. And frankly, no one would want to hire you as CEO anymore. You'll pretend its because you are too good for them, you ran google and turned it evil after all. But the reality is you have nothing to offer corp America any longer.
Solution: start your own company with staff you hire that you can boss around. Make it a non-profit so there is no keeping score. Now you can go to conferences and talk, and people will want to talk to you (for your money). Insightful tweets...maybe a laboratory with some cool looking gear. And when the $200 million or so runs out, you just close up shop and re-focus on that mega-mega-yacht you've wanted to design
I'm going to X withY. (Score:2)
Is that really all an article needs today? I can't wait until you're paid for being USEFUL rather than BUSY.
For all those worrying about loss of jobs. (Score:2)
Eliza is 40 years old and works as well as a therapist for many people, we still have therapists.
All forms of human labor were bound to be automated at some point. Human labor isn't special.
It will become more and more boutique though. Folks drive cars nowadays they don't hire coachmen except for special occasions.