OpenAI launches $100 million startup fund with Microsoft

OpenAI today launched the OpenAI Startup Fund, a $100 million fund to -- in the words of OpenAI -- "help AI companies have a profound, positive impact on the world." The fund is managed by OpenAI, with investment from Microsoft and other partners, and OpenAI says that companies selected for it will get early access to future OpenAI systems, support from OpenAI's team, and credits on Microsoft Azure. According to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and the former president of Y Combinator, the OpenAI Startup Fund will make "big, early bets" on a relatively small number of companies, likely no more than 10. It'll look to partner with early-stage startups in fields where AI can have a "transformative" effect -- like health care, climate change, and education -- and where AI tools can empower people by helping them be more productive, like personal assistance and semantic search. "We think that helping people be more productive with new tools is a big deal. And we can imagine brand new interferences that weren't possible a year ago," Altman said.