A “Country of Geniuses in a Datacenter”? Let’s Talk About What Genius Actually Is
One of the most striking phrases in Dario Amodei’s essay The Adolescence of Technology is his description of advanced AI as “a country of geniuses in a datacenter.”
What we are building in datacenters is not a country of geniuses—but a country of extremely powerful tools that could concentrate unprecedented capability in few hands. The risks are real, but they're different: not millions of independent minds plotting discoveries, but rather the danger of mistaking fluency for understanding, speed for wisdom, and pattern-mastery for the embodied intelligence that actually creates new knowledge.
The danger is not that AI is too human. It’s that we mistake fluency, speed, and pattern mastery for the kind of intelligence that actually creates new knowledge.
Harvey AI's $5 Billion Valuation: What a Legal AI Unicorn Tells Us About Startup Hype, Venture Capital Strategy, and Market Reality
This week, legal AI startup Harvey announced a massive $300 million Series E financing, at a valuation of $5 billion.
To be clear, that number—five billion—is extraordinary. Harvey's $5 billion valuation represents a significant milestone in the legal AI space, especially considering Harvey closed $300 million in Series D financing in February (4 months ago) at a $3 billion valuation.
So what gives? Or is this another case of private market exuberance racing ahead of fundamentals? Let's break down how Harvey got here, what this valuation really means, and what it tells us about the broader startup and VC landscape.
How Ukraine’s Lithium Reserves Could Determine the Future of AI and Energy Storage
With an estimated 500,000 tonnes of lithium, Ukraine's reserves are valued at approximately $15 trillion. Supporting Ukraine is not merely a matter of foreign policy but a strategic imperative for the United States. Ensuring U.S. access to critical minerals like lithium is essential for maintaining economic stability, advancing technological innovation, and preserving geopolitical influence.