Industry Giants Are Devoting Millions to Make a Moral AI

The warnings are exaggerated, of course, and are rooted in science fiction (SkyNet isn't coming, guys, c'mon). But it doesn't hurt to be prepared, or at least to influence the direction AI research can or should take. A new enterprise rises to the challenge in the form of the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund. Backed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, together with the Knight Foundation, the fund's goal is "to support work around the world that advances the development of ethical AI in the public interest, with an emphasis on applied research and eduction." At its launch last January 10, the fund already received an initial investment of $27 million -- with Hoffman and Omidyar each committing $10 million through their respective foundations, and the Knight Foundation's $5 million contribution.