Jason Warner, co-founder and CEO of Poolside, is clear in his stance: rather than investing efforts into developing foundational AI models, companies should concentrate on creating applications. Poolside is a platform that leverages AI for software development.
Speaking at the HumanX AI conference in Las Vegas on Monday, Warner expressed that anyone who doesn’t recognize intelligence as the world’s most critical resource—equivalent in importance to electricity—should refrain from attempting to develop a foundational model.
“If you find yourself on one side of this debate, you could be generating wealth like never before,” Warner commented. “Alternatively, if you align with the other perspective, you may be influencing the trajectory of humanity in unprecedented ways. I truly believe that.”
Warner went on to state that Poolside is dedicated to pursuing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) via its software solutions. He suggested that if companies view foundational models merely as a means to secure venture capital funding, they would be better off creating a layer on top of an existing foundational model instead.
Nevertheless, Warner emphasized that companies focused on foundational models should not simply rely on them as standalone products. Instead, they must incorporate them into their offerings, especially as competition intensifies.
“For me, if I’m establishing a business in this domain, I aim to tackle intelligence within computing, pursuing the most challenging environments,” Warner asserted. “You can’t operate simply on one side and complicate the other; it contradicts itself. If you’re going to aim for everything, then aim for everything.”
He noted that this is why Poolside is targeting challenging sectors like defense and collaborating with government entities. However, he mentioned that the company also intends to introduce a consumer application in the future.
Founded in 2023, Poolside is based in San Francisco and was established by Warner, a former CTO of GitHub and managing director at Redpoint, along with Eiso Kant, a seasoned entrepreneur. The company has successfully secured over $620 million in venture capital and currently boasts a valuation of $3 billion.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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