前 DeepMind 研究員暨 AlphaGo 開發者 David Silver 創立了人工智慧實驗室「Ineffable Intelligence」,並獲得了高達 11 億美元的種子輪融資。儘管他身價非凡,但他透過「創辦人承諾」(Founders Pledge)簽署了一份具法律約束力的合約,承諾將未來出售公司所得的全數資金捐贈給慈善機構,並專注於解決當下的人類苦難與拯救生命。
這項承諾凸顯了 AI 創辦人中日益增長的「科技慈善」趨勢,但也引發了關於資本主義和巨額捐贈者能否解決由其自身加劇的不平等問題的質疑。批評者警告,這種慈善模式缺乏民主問責制,且可能被用來作為掩飾不良商業行為或為魯莽推動技術加速主義辯護的道德藉口。
Silver 拒絕外界將他與 Sam Bankman-Fried 充滿缺陷的道德邏輯相提並論,他強調這項具約束力的捐贈承諾,正是為了消除可能導致 AI 發展偏離正軌的個人貪婪風險。他深信,儘管當前的經濟體系存在嚴重的不平等,但富裕人士選擇將資源用於造福全人類,依然是改變世界未來的一種務實且具變革性的必要手段。
Former DeepMind researcher and AlphaGo developer David Silver founded the artificial intelligence lab Ineffable Intelligence, raising a massive $1.1 billion in seed funding. Despite his immense paper wealth, he signed a binding contract through Founders Pledge to donate all future proceeds from the sale of his company to charity, focusing on alleviating present-day human suffering and saving lives.
This commitment highlights a growing trend of techno-philanthropy among AI founders, yet it raises questions about whether capitalism and megadonors can solve the inequalities they often exacerbate. Critics warn that such philanthropic models lack democratic accountability and could be used as a moral excuse to justify unsavory business practices or reckless technological accelerationism.
Silver rejects comparisons to Sam Bankman-Fried's flawed moral logic, emphasizing that his binding pledge aims to eliminate the risk of personal greed leading artificial intelligence development astray. He firmly believes that while the current economic system is deeply unequal, wealthy individuals choosing to use their resources for the benefit of humanity remains a practical and transformative necessity for the world's future.