For the first time in its seven-year history, OpenAI, the company behind the well-known ChatGPT, has bought New York startup Global Illumination, a company focused in the creation of creative tools with artificial intelligencewhich can represent an important qualitative leap for the OpenAI chatbot itself or open the door to new products.
Although the details of the purchase have not been disclosed, it is a very relevant movement for OpenAI and for the future of its technology. Global Illumination, although small in size, is a well-known company in the industry with only three years of life. Its founders have in their curriculum having worked and creating very valuable products in companies like InstagramFacebook, YouTube, Google, Pixar and Riot Games.
In fact, its founder, Thomas Dimson was instrumental in iterating on Instagram’s discovery algorithms. AND I am actively involved in the design and creation of the Explore tabthe classification of feeds and stories, IGTV and much more.
Global Illumination talent may be key to OpenAI
Global Illumination also has a very interesting product for the future of OpenAI: Biomes, an open source sandbox multiplayer game (MMORPG) similar to Minecraft, but produced to be played on the web. A technology that can be very important for OpenAI and the deployment of future tools through the web.
It is not clear what will happen now with Biomes, since OpenAI does not seem to be very interested in training, but yes in the company’s talent and technology.
Although OpenAI was originally a non-profit company, the entry of venture capital and multimillion-dollar investments would be forcing the company to change its dynamics and seek a hit business, and the technology and talent of Global Illumination can be the starting point.
With the arrival of new players like Facebook or Google in the sector in which OpenAI is apparently the leader, the war for the future of AI goes through massive and corporate adoption. Therefore, having an attractive and easy-to-use product that can be easily integrated by third parties, is the trick that will determine the winner. OpenAI is taking the necessary steps to achieve this.