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Sentient commits $42M to open source AI, aiming to close gap with closed source models, with crypto as transaction layer for AI agents, and a goal to be on par
Sentient, a nonprofit founded by Sandeep Nailwal, the Polygon co-founder, has committed $42 million to its Open Source AGI Grant and Investment Program, with the goal of making open source AI on par with closed source models in five years [1]. The move is significant, as it highlights the growing importance of open source AI and its potential intersection with crypto, with Sentient's director of venture and growth, Sachi Kamiya, stating that "crypto and AI are two sides of the same coin" [1].
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Commitment | $42 million |
| Goal | Open source AI to be on par with closed source in 5 years |
| Catalyst | Growing importance of open source AI and its intersection with crypto |
| Comparison | Open source counterparts are now only 3-6 months behind closed source models [1] |
The commitment by Sentient is a significant boost to the open source AI movement, which has been gaining traction in recent months. Ben Goertzel, the founder of SingularityNET, has been a long-time advocate for open source AI, arguing that it is essential to prevent a handful of corporations from controlling the most powerful AI models [1]. Goertzel's warning is not just commercial, but also geopolitical, as he believes that an open and decentralized AI is preferable to an AGI arms race where only a few countries have access to the technology [1].
The intersection of open source AI and crypto is a key aspect of Sentient's vision, with Kamiya stating that blockchain is the transaction layer for AI agents [1]. This is a claim that is not unique to Sentient, with Yat Siu, the co-founder of Animoca Brands, also arguing that crypto and AI are closely linked [1]. The idea is that AI agents will need a way to transact with each other, and blockchain provides a secure and decentralized way to do so. However, as Varun Kabra of Concordium notes, there are still significant challenges to overcome, including the need for merchants to verify that a real, accountable human is behind a transaction [1].
The commitment by Sentient to open source AI is a significant development, and one that highlights the growing importance of this area. As the intersection between open source AI and crypto continues to evolve, it will be important to watch how this space develops, and the potential impact it could have on the AI industry. With Sentient's goal of making open source AI on par with closed source models in five years, the next few years will be crucial in determining the success of this vision [1].
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The program provides $42 million in non‑dilutive grants and startup investments to support developers building open‑source AI models and to supply compute resources.
According to the company, ODS outperforms Perplexity AI’s Sonar Reasoning Pro on the FRAMES benchmark and delivers accuracy comparable to OpenAI’s leading models on simpler questions.
Sentient Chat is in early access with a waitlist of over 1.75 million users and is expected to become generally available within two months, after which the ODS codebase will be open‑sourced.
Investors include Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, Pantera Capital, Framework Ventures, and other backers who contributed to the $85 million seed round.
The company cites monetization, the high cost of running large models, and the need for accountability mechanisms as key hurdles.