May 21, 2025 News
LM Arena Secures $100M Funding at $600M Valuation for AI Model Benchmarking Platform
LM Arena, the crowdsourced AI benchmarking organization that major AI labs use to test their models, raised $100 million in seed funding at a $600 million valuation. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and UC Investments, with participation from other major VCs. Founded in 2023 by UC Berkeley researchers, LM Arena has become central to AI industry evaluation despite recent accusations of helping labs game leaderboards.
Skynet Chance (-0.03%): Better AI evaluation and benchmarking infrastructure generally improves our ability to assess and control AI capabilities before deployment. However, concerns about gaming leaderboards could potentially mask true capabilities.
Skynet Date (+0 days): Evaluation infrastructure doesn't significantly change the pace toward potential risks, as it's a supportive tool rather than a capability driver. The funding enables better assessment but doesn't accelerate or decelerate core AI development timelines.
AGI Progress (+0.01%): Robust evaluation infrastructure is crucial for measuring progress toward AGI and enabling systematic comparison of capabilities. The significant funding validates the importance of benchmarking in the AGI development process.
AGI Date (+0 days): While better evaluation tools are important for AGI development, this funding primarily improves measurement rather than accelerating core research. The impact on AGI timeline pace is minimal as it's infrastructure rather than breakthrough research.
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive's Design Company for $6.5B, Aims to Create AI-Powered Consumer Devices
OpenAI has acquired io, a joint venture between CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion in an all-equity deal. Ive will lead creative and design work at OpenAI, focusing on developing AI-powered consumer devices that move beyond traditional screens. The collaboration aims to create a new generation of AI computers, with Ive's team of 55 specialists joining OpenAI while he retains control of his independent design firm LoveFrom.
Skynet Chance (+0.04%): Moving AI into ubiquitous consumer devices increases surface area for potential control issues and makes AI more deeply integrated into daily life. However, consumer focus suggests continued human oversight and control mechanisms.
Skynet Date (-1 days): Accelerates AI integration into physical world through consumer devices, though focus on user-friendly design suggests maintaining human control. The pace increase is modest as this is hardware development rather than core AI capability advancement.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): Significant investment in creating AI devices that can interact with physical world represents progress toward more general AI applications. Moving beyond chat interfaces toward ambient, context-aware AI systems advances AGI-relevant capabilities.
AGI Date (-1 days): Major $6.5B investment and high-profile talent acquisition accelerates development of next-generation AI interfaces and applications. This substantial resource commitment and focus on "Her"-like technology suggests faster progress toward more general AI systems.
Google Transitions from Traditional Search to AI Agent-Mediated Web Interaction
Google I/O 2025 marked a fundamental shift from traditional search to AI agent-mediated web interaction, with AI Mode now available to all US users. The company is deploying multiple autonomous agents that browse, summarize, and shop on behalf of users, potentially disrupting the ad-supported internet model.
Skynet Chance (+0.08%): The widespread deployment of autonomous AI agents that mediate human interaction with the entire web represents a significant increase in AI control over information flow and decision-making. This centralization of web interaction through AI systems creates potential points of failure or manipulation.
Skynet Date (-1 days): Google's aggressive push toward AI agent-mediated web interaction, despite acknowledged problems with hallucinations and business model disruption, accelerates the deployment of autonomous AI systems. The company's willingness to proceed despite risks suggests faster adoption of potentially problematic AI capabilities.
AGI Progress (+0.05%): The systematic replacement of human web navigation with AI agents that can understand context, make decisions, and take actions across diverse digital environments represents major progress toward general intelligence. This demonstrates AI capabilities approaching human-level web interaction and task completion.
AGI Date (-1 days): Google's deployment of AI agents across its entire search ecosystem, affecting hundreds of millions of users, represents massive acceleration in real-world AGI-adjacent capability deployment. The integration of multiple AI systems into core internet infrastructure significantly speeds practical AGI implementation.