Democratizing AI for good:
How $1 Million in Grants is Changing the AI Scene
World-renowned computer scientist and prolific author of over 25 books, Dr. Ben Goertzel—Founder and CEO of SingularityNET, the CEO of the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance, and Chair of the OpenCog Foundation, has announced over $1 million+ in grants to empower developers to advance benevolent AGI for humanity’s benefit.
Dr. Goertzel, founder of SingularityNET, the world’s first decentralized AI platform, has opened the global search for innovative new R&D projects in benevolent AGI to avoid the serious fallout of a malignant singularity.
SingularityNET, a leader in decentralized AI infrastructure and a founding member of the Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) Alliance, is launching the scheme through SingularityNET’s AI innovation fund DeepFunding for individuals to create AI code designed to work with OpenCog Hyperon, an AGI framework running on SingularityNET’s decentralized AI platform.
This move marks a key step in SingularityNET’s mission to achieve a beneficial AGI before Big Tech and Governments advance too rapidly with their centralized AI systems embodying the goals and values of a narrow elite class.
It is anticipated that the R&D grants will be appealing to advanced research students, as well as to AI researchers and engineers in emerging and developing countries, in line with the inclusive values of SingularityNET’s partner ecosystem.
The $1million+ fund pool will provide those in the field with the financial resources to pursue groundbreaking AGI R&D projects designed to complement internal R&D at SingularityNET and join a community of like-minded individuals aiming to lead the next phase of radical AGI breakthroughs.
Grant recipients will have invaluable access to cutting-edge technology, with a chance to leverage SingularityNET’s platform and access advanced technologies, frameworks, and a global network of AGI experts.
Dr. Goertzel, whose journey in AI coding began back in the 1970s, says: “We are casting the net across the globe to identify dynamic, fearless developers who align with our commitment to ethical AI development prioritizing transparency, fairness, and inclusivity, ensuring that AI solutions contribute positively to society.
AI is no longer just a distant promise, it is now a reality – shaping and disrupting industries, solving complex problems, and redefining what’s possible. Thousands of groundbreaking ideas and projects are coming out of the AI boom – but for every breakthrough project, there are countless ideas that never get the chance to grow due to a lack of finances, resources, mentorship, or visibility. That’s where SingularityNET comes in.”
Grant proposals will be reviewed and selected by small panels of domain experts from SingularityNET’s research teams; specially qualified to assess submissions.
Currently, there are 13 OpenCog Hyperon Challenges open, some of which allow for multiple winners, with over $1 million in total funding available. Proposals can be submitted by December 1st, and the deadline may be extended at SingularityNET’s discretion. Once that deadline is reached, the evaluation process will begin. Once awarded, grant recipients will have between three to nine months to complete their research and development, depending on the scope and complexity of the project.
“Even a handful of highly successful projects from this initiative could create a powerful ripple effect, accelerating breakthroughs and driving significant advancements in AGI, with the potential to transform the trajectory of the entire field” notes Goertzel.
Goertzel continues “We are poised to make dramatic progress toward human-level AGI and then superintelligence over the next few years. To increase the odds that this epochal development results in broad benefit for humanity, it is important that as we move toward AGI, our AI software is deployed to meet a broad spectrum of human needs and is also developed in a global and inclusive manner. These Deep Funding grants are important not only because they will accelerate our progress toward advanced AGI, but also because they will engage a broad community of developers in the process of making this AGI progress happen.”
