Jeff Bezos, alongside other prominent investors, has funded Skild AI, a Pittsburgh-based robotics company, with a whopping $300 million in Series A funding. Skild AI, founded in 2023, aims to develop a scalable AI foundation model for robotics.
By investing in Skild AI, Bezos is taking a significant step towards revolutionizing robotics and potentially reshaping humanity’s interaction with machines. This move aligns with the science fiction narratives of Metal Gear Solid and Deus Ex, where AI systems play pivotal roles.
Jeff Bezos Places His Bet on the Potential Future of AI
Skild AI was founded in 2023 by Carnegie Mellon University professors Deepak Pathak and Abhinav Gupta. The company recently raised $300 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue, SoftBank, and Bezos Expeditions.
This funding values the company at $1.5 billion and supports its mission to build a scalable AI foundation model for robotics. The company recently put out a blog post on its website that went through some of the details.
Humans create economic value through innovation. Ethical concerns around transformational AI deserve open discussion. How might this shape society's future?
— Vincent Valentine (CEO of Cognitive.ai) (@BitValentine) July 15, 2024
This model aims to serve a diverse range of robots, enabling them to perform complex tasks across various real-world applications. The technology represents a significant leap forward, moving from specialized, single-purpose robots to versatile machines capable of adapting to different environments and tasks.
Skild AI’s approach contrasts sharply with existing robotic applications that operate in controlled environments. Their general-purpose AI model aims to create robots that are not only agile and dexterous, but also safe to interact with humans. There is always the risky side of everything AI-related though, as the media has reminded us time and again.
This will be massive believe me
— Immaculate (@femmark24) July 15, 2024
This shift could address labor shortages in critical sectors such as healthcare, construction, and manufacturing, where there are more job vacancies than unemployed workers. By taking over hazardous tasks, these robots could significantly reduce workplace injuries and fatalities.
Will We Eventually See an AI Brain in Real-World Scenarios
The investors of the project also shared some thoughts. Raviraj Jain of Lightspeed Venture Partners believes Skild AI is poised to redefine our understanding of machine capabilities.
Similarly, Sri Viswanath from Coatue highlights the company’s scalable approach to robotics, which could shift the industry from pre-programmed to dynamic, adaptable robots.
Skild Al, Al robotics company has raised $300M ina Series A funding round, reaching a valuation of $1.5B.
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Stephanie Zhan, a partner at Sequoia Capital, compared Skild AI’s potential impact to the launch of ChatGPT, predicting a similar revolutionary effect on the physical world.
The parallels to Metal Gear Solid and Deus Ex are striking, as both series explore themes of AI integration into human society, often highlighting both the benefits and ethical dilemmas.
Similarly, Skild AI’s goal of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) grounded in the physical world raises questions about future interactions between humans and increasingly autonomous machines.
What do you think of this move by Jeff Bezos? Let us know in the comments below.
