Funding AI News & Updates
Perplexity AI Eyes Massive $1B Funding at $18B Valuation Amid Search Competition
AI search startup Perplexity is reportedly in early talks to raise up to $1 billion at an $18 billion valuation, doubling its previous valuation from December. The company, which has reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue, faces increasing competition as Anthropic adds web search to Claude and Google tests an AI-powered search engine.
Skynet Chance (+0.03%): The massive investment and valuation growth indicate accelerating commercialization of AI search capabilities, potentially incentivizing rapid development with less focus on safety considerations in a competitive market.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The intensifying competition between Perplexity, Anthropic, and Google is likely to accelerate development timelines for increasingly autonomous AI systems, pushing towards agentic capabilities as evidenced by Perplexity's new Comet browser.
AGI Progress (+0.02%): While not a direct technical breakthrough, the significant capital influx and market validation for AI search shows increasing capability for AI systems to access, synthesize and contextualize web information, representing progress towards more generally capable systems.
AGI Date (-1 days): The extreme funding levels and frenzied competition in AI search will likely accelerate development cycles and investment in underlying AI infrastructure, potentially bringing forward AGI timelines by increasing resources devoted to improving AI capabilities.
OpenAI Launches $50 Million Academic Research Consortium
OpenAI has established a new consortium called NextGenAI with a $50 million commitment to support AI research at prestigious academic institutions including Harvard, Oxford, and MIT. The initiative will provide research grants, computing resources, and API access to students, educators, and researchers, potentially filling gaps as the Trump administration reduces federal AI research funding.
Skynet Chance (+0.01%): While increased academic research could lead to safer AI developments through diverse oversight, OpenAI's commercial interests may influence research directions away from fundamental safety concerns toward capabilities advancement. The net effect represents a minor increase in risk.
Skynet Date (-1 days): The substantial funding for academic AI research will likely accelerate overall AI development pace, especially if it compensates for reduced government funding. This may shorten timelines for advanced AI capabilities by creating new talent pipelines and research breakthroughs.
AGI Progress (+0.03%): The creation of a well-funded academic consortium represents a significant boost to foundational AI research that could overcome key technical hurdles. By connecting top universities with OpenAI's resources, this initiative can foster breakthroughs more efficiently than isolated research efforts.
AGI Date (-1 days): The $50 million investment in academic AI research creates a powerful accelerant for advancing complex AI capabilities by engaging elite institutions and creating a pipeline of highly skilled researchers, potentially bringing AGI development timelines forward significantly.