Himanshu Tyagi: Sentient's $85m Raise To Build An Alternative to OpenAI Through Monetizable Open Source Models

Himanshu, a core contributor to Sentient, discusses the vision and mission of the project in this conversation. Sentient aims to create a decentralized alternative to centralized AI, where contributors are rewarded for their contributions and the AI economy is more participatory. The project recently raised $85 million in funding led by Peter Thiel’s fund. Himanshu explains that while $85 million may seem like a lot in the crypto world, it is not enough considering the expensive resources required for AI, such as compute and talent. He discusses his background in academia and his journey into building different systems related to blockchain and AI. He also explains how the idea for Sentient came about and the decision to focus on building a counterpart to centralized AI. He emphasizes the importance of participation in the AI economy and the need for a more inclusive and decentralized approach. He addresses the market forces that favor crypto AI, such as the availability of compute and the potential for a more powerful economic flywheel. He also discusses the challenges of attracting AI talent to the crypto space and explains how Sentient aims to build models and create an open economy where anyone can contribute and earn rewards. Sentient aims to solve the monetization problem of open source AI models through their Open Monetizable Loyal (OML) Models and Other Artifacts. OML models are open source, can be monetized, and are loyal to the builder’s preferred alignment and safety rules. The OML protocol uses backdoor attacks as a basic primitive to tie ownership and monetization to the actual model. Sentient plans to attract and incentivize AI developers by offering distribution and revenue opportunities for their models. The platform will be released in a demo version at DevCon, with hackathons and limited circles experiencing it before that.

Himanshu’s Twitter: https://x.com/hstyagi
Sentient’s Twitter: https://x.com/sentient_agi

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Funding in Crypto AI
03:29 The Vision: Building a Decentralized Alternative to Centralized AI
09:07 Creating an Open and Participatory AI Economy
14:51 Sentient as an AI Company: Building Models and Providing AI
19:38 The Potential of Crypto AI and Access to Capital
30:38 Attracting AI Talent and the Role of the Younger Generation
34:32 The Future of Crypto AI: A More Inclusive and Decentralized AI Economy
35:01 Solving the Monetization Problem of Open Source AI Models
44:41 Introducing OML Models: Open, Monetizable, and Loyal
48:31 Using Backdoor Attacks to Tie Ownership and Monetization
51:25 Attracting and Incentivizing AI Developers with Sentient
01:00:33 Upcoming Release and Hackathons at DevCon