Even as funding drops, AI sees record number of deals in Q1

Editor's Note: Our annual Vator Splash Spring 2016 conference is around the corner on May 12, 2016 at the historic Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. Speakers include Nigel Eccles (CEO & Co-founder, FanDuel), Andy Dunn (Founder & CEO, Bonobos), Mitch Kapor (Founder, Kapor Center for Social Impact); Founders of NextDoor, Handy, TubeMogul; Investors from Khosla Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Kapor Capital, Greylock, DFJ, IDG, IVP and more. Even as some of the biggest companies, including Facebook, Google and Amazon, have been making big bets on artificial intelligence, the space itself seems to having a weird moment when it comes to venture capital, as dollars have been dipping. The space saw another big decline in Q1, dipping 18 percent quarter-to-quarter to 83 million raised, according to new data out from CB Insights. Though it should be noted that the 83 million invested happens to be the largest amount the space has since the first quarter of 2015, the downturn in funding is not new.