20VC: Chips, Models or Applications; Where is the Value in AI | Is Compute the Answer to All Model Performance Questions | Why Open AI Shelved AGI & Is There Any Value in Models with OpenAI Price Dumping with Aidan, Gomez, Co-Founder @ Cohere

The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

The Twenty Minute VC

Finance, Venturecapital, Tech News, News, Siliconvalley, Technology, Investing, Startups, Business

4.4 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 19 August 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Aidan Gomez is the Co-founder & CEO at Cohere, the leading AI platform for enterprise, having raised over $1BN from some of the best with their last round pricing the company at a whopping $5.5BN. Prior to Cohere, Aidan co-authored the paper “Attention is All You Need,” which introduced the groundbreaking Transformer architecture. He also collaborated with a number of AI luminaries, including Geoffrey Hinton and Jeff Dean, during his time at Google Brain, where the team focused their efforts on large-scale machine learning.

In Today's Episode with Aidan Gomez We Discuss:

1. Compute vs Data: What is the Bottleneck:

Does Aidan believe that more compute will result in an equal increase in performance?
How much longer do we have before it becomes a case of diminishing returns?
What does Aidan mean when he says "he has changed his mind massively on the role of data"? What did he believe? How has it changed?

2. The Value of the Model:

Given the demand for chips, the consumer need for applications, how does Aidan think about the inherent value of models today? Will any value accrue at the model layer?
How does Aidan analyze the price dumping that OpenAI are doing? Is it a race to the bottom on price?
Why does Aidan believe that "there is no value in last year's model"?
Given all of this, is it possible to be an independent model provider without being owned by an incumbent who has a cloud business that acts as a cash cow for the model business?

3. Enterprise AI: It is Changing So Fast:

What are the biggest concerns for the world's largest enterprises on adopting AI?
Are we still in the experimental budget phase for enterprises? What is causing them to move from experimental budget to core budget today?
Are we going to see a mass transition back from Cloud to On Prem with the largest enterprises not willing to let independent companies train with their data in the cloud?
What does AI not do today that will be a gamechanger for the enterprise in 3-5 years?

4. The Wider World: Remote Work, Downfall of Europe and Relationships:

Given humans spending more and more time talking to models, how does Aidan reflect on the idea of his children spending more time with models than people? Does he want that world?
Why does Aidan believe that Europe is challenged immensely? How does the UK differ to Europe?
Why does Aidan believe that remote work is just not nearly as productive as in person?

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The reality of the matter is there's no market for last year's model.
0:04.0	It's definitely true that if you throw more compute at the model, if you make the model bigger,
0:08.0	it'll get better.
0:09.0	For folks who have a lot of money, that's a really compelling strategy.
0:12.0	I think will continuously exist in a world of multiple models, some focused and verticalized,
0:18.0	others completely horizontal.
0:20.0	There's going to be a consolidation
0:21.0	in the space for sure. It's really dangerous when you make yourself a subsidiary of your cloud
0:25.9	provider. I am so excited for this 20 VC. I've had Jan Lacoon, Sam Altman, founders of adept,
0:31.9	mistrial, character AI, but I was so keen to have Aidan Gomez, founder of Co-Hara on the show.
0:37.2	And today we make it happen.
0:38.6	For those that do not know, Aidan, as I said, co-founder and CEO of Cohere,
0:43.0	the leading AI platform for Enterprise, having raised over a billion dollars,
0:47.4	with their last round pricing the company at a whopping $5.5 billion.
0:52.1	And prior to Co-Hare, Aiden co-authored the paper, Attention is All You Need, which introduced the
0:57.5	groundbreaking transformer architecture.
0:59.6	He also collaborated with a number of AI luminaries, including Jeff Hinton and Jeff Dean,
1:04.5	during his time at Google Brain.
1:06.3	This is an incredible episode, and it was fantastic to have Aden in the studio in London
1:10.5	to make it happen.
1:11.6	But before we dive in, when a promising startup files for an IPO or a venture capital firm
1:16.6	loses its marquee partner, being the first to know gives you an advantage and time to plan
	...

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