Google AI Partnership Launches with $400M+ Funding

A New AI Partnership Emerges

A new collaborative effort in the realm of artificial intelligence, dubbed Current AI, was unveiled at the French AI Action summit on Monday. This initiative is designed to guide the development of AI towards outcomes that benefit society as a whole.

The project begins with initial pledges totaling $400 million, with ambitions to secure an additional $2.5 billion in funding over the next five years.

Funding and Focus

While these figures may seem modest compared to other AI investments – such as France’s recently announced $112 billion private package, or the U.S.’s $500 billion push – Current AI distinguishes itself by not prioritizing computational power.

Backers believe these funds will still have a significant impact by concentrating on areas where AI can demonstrably improve public welfare, including advancements in healthcare and the pursuit of climate goals.

Key Objectives of the Initiative

The initiative’s core focus is establishing a supportive environment for AI that serves the public interest. Several specific aims have been outlined.

• Expanding access to both public and private datasets of high quality for AI training purposes.
• Providing support for open-source infrastructure and tools to enhance AI transparency and security.
• Developing methods to accurately assess the social and environmental consequences of AI systems.

Addressing Data and Open Source Challenges

Martin Tisné, the founder of Current AI, explained that the project aims to serve as a financial catalyst for crucial endeavors.

He cited examples like applying AI to cancer research and developing treatments for long COVID. Tisné also highlighted a growing challenge in AI development: a scarcity of readily available data.

“We’re running out of road with data on the web,” he stated, emphasizing the need for innovations that facilitate data accessibility and availability.

Regarding open-source technology, the goal is to ensure these tools are as user-friendly as their proprietary counterparts through targeted investment and ecosystem development.

Promoting AI Accountability

The partnership also intends to foster a unified approach to AI accountability.

This involves working towards consensus on standards for auditing AI systems, with a strong emphasis on the inclusion of diverse populations and communities affected by the problems AI is intended to solve.

A Different Approach to AI Investment

Tisné clarified that Current AI’s focus differs from the large-scale investments often seen in the field.

“Our focus here is around the public interest,” he explained. “Our focus is on smaller models. We’re not optimizing for AGI [artificial general intelligence].”

The initiative will concentrate on smaller, specialized models that require high-value, specific datasets. An example given was the standardization of datasets for Parkinson’s disease, spearheaded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, demonstrating a commitment to impactful, targeted applications.

Collaboration Between Europe and the Global South on AI

A diverse coalition of public and private entities is supporting this new initiative. Nine nations—France, Germany, Chile, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Finland, Slovenia, and Switzerland—have been identified as partners from the outset.

Notably, the United States is not participating, and no Asian governments are currently involved, positioning the drive for this effort with policymakers in Europe and the Global South.

Key Partnerships

Alongside governmental support, prominent U.S. technology companies, Google and Salesforce, are listed as “core partners” in the press release.

Tisné emphasized the partnership’s desire to collaborate with leading industry research labs, technology firms distinguished by their use of open source, major companies utilizing open source products, and innovative startups pushing the boundaries of openness.

Philanthropic and Organizational Backing

The French government, currently hosting the AI Action Summit in Paris and taking a leading role in AI governance, is a core partner. Several philanthropic organizations are also providing support, including The Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and AI Collaborative.

AI Collaborative, an AI governance policy lobby organization backed by the Omidyar Group, operates within the network of billionaire Pierre Omidyar and his wife, Pam.

Interestingly, Tisné, the founder of Current AI, also serves as the CEO of AI Collaborative.

Addressing a Critical Gap in AI Development

Tisné articulated that the initiative aims to address a need for a public-private funding mechanism capable of accelerating AI development aligned with public interests.

He explained that the challenge isn’t a lack of projects serving the public good, but rather a significant fragmentation within the field, hindering large-scale progress.

The goal is to mobilize “public and private financing at scale of critical public interest AI projects,” he stated during a conversation with TechCrunch.

Focus on Scalability and Impact

“It’s a question of really bringing them together, but focusing effort so that we can help develop the next AlphaFold,” Tisné noted, referencing Google DeepMind’s groundbreaking AI system for protein structure prediction.

He acknowledged the private sector’s focus on proprietary interests and substantial computational investments—reaching tens of billions of dollars quarterly—and sought to identify how this initiative could make a substantial difference.

Tisné highlighted the importance of public datasets, such as the Protein Data Bank, in the development of AlphaFold, indicating that data accessibility will be a central focus of Current AI’s work.

Supporting the Public Interest AI Landscape

Expanding access to health data could involve concentrating on the advancement of technologies that safeguard privacy, thereby enabling a greater number of patients to contribute their data to AI research, as suggested by experts.

The initiative represents a unique collaboration, specifically designed to unify the entire field and mobilize substantial public funding, according to its proponents.

Further clarifying the scope of the undertaking, Tisné explained that Current AI’s activities will be structured around three primary areas. Initially, it will offer financial assistance to the sector through direct monetary contributions. It will also function as an incubator, fostering AI innovations by supporting relevant research endeavors. Finally, it will concentrate on coordinating funding efforts to facilitate joint work among funders based on common goals.

The partnership intends to allocate approximately half of its donated funds as grant awards. The remaining portion will be dedicated to collaborative funding initiatives, focusing on principles of openness, data handling, and accountability. These initiatives will aim to achieve defined goals and objectives for each program.

“This initiative is focused on development and implementation, rather than policy or regulation,” he emphasized.

Current AI’s public relations materials list a broad range of “supporters” and “champions” for the project, including an open letter endorsed by prominent figures in the industry. These include Arthur Mensch, co-founder and CEO of Mistral, a French LLM developer; Brent Hoberman and Reid Hoffman, experienced entrepreneurs and investors; Clement Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face; and Fidji Simo, a member of the OpenAI board and CEO of Instacart.

The letter articulates a clear vision: “Society must maintain control to maximize the benefits of AI.”

It continues by stating that, “achieving optimal outcomes from AI necessitates ensuring access to valuable datasets while preserving privacy and safety, encouraging the creation of smaller, open AI models that address specific needs and minimize environmental impact, and expanding open-source AI to enhance transparency, safety, and accessibility for everyone.” The authors conclude: “The future of AI should be inclusive.”

Current AI anticipates announcing additional supporters and funders in the coming months, with a particular interest in collaborating with the Gates Foundation, given its commitment to crucial sectors like healthcare.

Regarding the name “Current AI,” Tisné explained that the choice reflects a focus on present-day AI technology, rather than speculative future developments. The name also evokes concepts of electrical current and diversity, symbolizing the flow of ideas and the richness of perspectives within the field.

“Greater diversity within the AI field is crucial,” he asserted. “The AI community has often been preoccupied with a distant future and potential risks. This effort aims to address the opportunities and challenges we face today.”