Intro

In this episode, Yohei Nakajima, creator of BabyAGI and GP at Untapped Capital, chats with Nathan about the opportunity for AI to strengthen human understanding, AI agents, and his insights on investing in AI projects. If you need an ERP platform, check out our sponsor NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/cognitive.

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

SPONSORS: Shopify | NetSuite | Omneky

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitive

NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/cognitive and download your own customized KPI checklist.

Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off.

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:10:59) - A large part of AI is trying to map human cognitive processes onto our software stack

(00:11:14) - Yohei’s TED AI talk: the opportunity for AI to strengthen human understanding

(00:13:29) - Yohei's journey to build AI projects and building in public 

(00:14:04) - Yohei's lifelong interest in building tools and automating workflows for efficiency

(00:16:29) - Sponsors: Netsuite | Omneky 

(00:22:05) - Building projects as a fun and exploratory practice 

(00:23:53) - Single use software

(00:24:18) - Yohei’s home assessment price contesting project 

(00:24:58) - The origins of BabyAGI as an autonomous startup founder prototype

(00:27:44) - Create as many paper clips as possible 

(00:30:10) - Thoughts on going all in on a project and turning it into a company vs pursuing it on the side 

(00:33:00) - Forking different versions of Baby AGI based on animal names

(00:34:24) - Yohei’s learnings about agents after iterating on six versions of Baby AGI 

(00:36:24) - Yohei’s thoughts on generalist agents

(00:37:28) - Replit

(00:40:54) - Begin exploring AI automation with tasks you wish you had time for, not critical workflows

(00:42:32) - Automating outbound sales and recruiting workflows with AI

(00:46:19) - Where should people start learning about AI agents?

(00:48:23) - Will agents come online with GPT-4V?

(00:52:40) - The unique moment where both executives and engineers both want to implement AI

(00:54:59) - AI layers: hardware, software, tooling 

(00:57:20) - Taxonomy of AI business models 

(01:10:47) - Designing AI to provide value for senior citizens

(01:15:14) - The responsibility to nudge people positively with influential AI assistants

(01:19:24) - Advice on when and how startups should build in public

(01:22:24) - Perspective on existential risk from AI vs. its potential benefits

(01:15:30) - Responsibility to handle AI-human emotional connections well 

(01:19:24) - Advice on when and how startups should build in public

(01:22:24) - Perspective on existential risk from AI vs. its potential benefits