Former Y Combinator president Geoff Ralston launches new AI ‘safety’ fund

Geoff Ralston, well-known in the startup community for his years at Y Combinator, is back in the formal investing ring, he announced Thursday. His new fund is called Safe Artificial Intelligence Fund, or SAIF, which is both an explanation of its thesis and a play on words. Ralston is specifically looking for startups that “enhance AI safety, security, and responsible deployment,” as his fund’s website describes. He plans to write $100,000 checks as a safe, “pun intended,” he says, with a $10 million cap. A safe is, of course, the invest now/price later pre-seed investment tool pioneered by Y Combinator. While most VCs these days are looking to invest in AI startups, Ralston’s take is a bit more focused on the idea of safe AI, even though he admits the concept is a bit broad. “The vast majority of AI projects out in the world today are using the technology to solve problems or create efficiencies or create new capabilities. They are not necessarily intrinsically unsafe, but safety i ... Read full article.