**The Uncharted Territory of AI Collaboration**
We’re living in a world where AI-powered chatbots can pull off some impressive feats – from answering questions to tackling math problems with ease. But, have you ever stopped to think about how these AI wonders actually interact with us? Unfortunately, it’s like they’re stuck in a one-way conversation, never quite grasping the nuances of teamwork.
That’s where People& comes in, a startup that’s just snagged a whopping $480 million in seed funding. Their vision is to create a central “nervous system” for the human-AI economy. But here’s the thing: their big idea isn’t just about fancy jargon or rehashed concepts. Nope, People& is actually building a new, novel architecture for AI models that focuses on social intelligence, not just data retrieval or code generation.
According to co-founder Andi Peng, the company is poised to usher in a new era of AI adoption, moving beyond the tired narrative that AI is here to steal our jobs. You’ve probably heard this line before, but what’s new is the timing. Companies are shifting from chatbots to more complex workflows, and the coordination problem remains – and it’s not being addressed. Meanwhile, people are getting increasingly anxious about what this all means for their work and lives.
So what exactly is People& working on? Well, it’s still a bit unclear, but the founders promise a product that will revolutionize the way we interact with AI – and each other. Imagine something that can replace multiplayer platforms like Slack or collaboration tools like Google Docs and Notion. Yeah, it’s ambitious.
“We’re building something that will help people work together and communicate more effectively,” says Eric Zelikman, co-founder and CEO of People&. “And not just with each other, but with AI tools too.” Their new AI model is designed to ask questions in a way that feels like talking to a colleague or friend, someone who actually cares about the conversation. Not like those chatbots that just fire off question after question without a care in the world.
“What we’re doing is different,” Zelikman explains. “We’re training our model to understand the value of a question, not just ask it.” The goal is to create a seamless, collaborative experience that combines human insight with AI capabilities. It’s an exciting, but uncharted territory – and People& is leading the charge.
—
How do you think AI collaboration will change the way we work?
