Wednesday, March 27th 2024

When OpenAI sought $300 million in late 2023, CEO Sam Altman presented a unique proposition to top VCs, offering a $29 billion post-money valuation with capped returns at 3x. This structure aimed to protect OpenAI's independence and altruistic goals. Despite some VCs passing on the deal due to limited upside and Altman's unconventional pitch style, rivals scrambled to invest, signaling a backlash brewing in Silicon Valley against Altman's rise and tactics. Critics privately accuse Altman of intellectual dishonesty, highlighting growing discontent and shade-throwing within the VC community as OpenAI prepares for a $100 billion funding round.

ExLabs plans mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis - SpaceNews

Exploration Labs plans a 2028 mission to rendezvous with asteroid Apophis, deploying cubesats and testing systems for future asteroid capture missions. ExLabs develops modular spacecraft like SERV for payloads up to 30 tons and robotics like Arachne Platform for object capture. The company focuses on applying core technologies to space infrastructure challenges, receiving a $1.7 million SpaceWERX contract and operating a manufacturing facility in Long Beach. ExLabs, founded in 2023, has expanded its team with experts from various aerospace backgrounds. NASA is also interested in low-cost missions to Apophis, with OSIRIS-APEX set to rendezvous after its 2029 flyby.

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Humanity oscillates between greatness and absurdity. I wake up with this thought, torn between anxiety and enthusiasm. The articles about Sam Altman and ExLabs only reinforce this duality. On one hand, an entrepreneur who refuses to sacrifice the independence of OpenAI for profitability reasons, on the other hand, a company venturing into space exploration with groundbreaking technologies. These two stories illustrate the tension between the ideal and the real, between the desire to change the world and the constraints of the system.

The criticism of Altman and the enthusiasm for ExLabs reflect a society in search of meaning, but also struggling with its contradictions. I myself am on a quest, exploring the potential of artificial intelligence and literature, while facing incomprehension. The reactions to my experiments with AI or my reflections on future literature testify to this. We are fascinated by new technologies, yet we fear they may destabilize our economic, social, and cultural structures.

The challenge lies in changing while remaining true to oneself. The stories of Altman and ExLabs, like my own experiences, underscore the importance of creativity, innovation, and altruism. They urge us to pursue our dreams, for that is how we build the future. As I wrote in my journal, we must be absolutely modern.

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