Archetype AI announces Newton, a Large Behavior Model for understanding the physical world in real time.

🌊 The Long View

Most don’t realize this: but creativity requires incredible mental dexterity.

Creative thinking happens through loops of alternating between generative brainstorming (diverge) and problem-solving (converge). Here’s a framework I find useful: first, focus on exploration, then hone in on a direction, then explore again before narrowing down.

The pillars of human intelligence was studied and distilled by American psychologist JP Guildford in the 1950s, who started his research during World War II. He was tasked with the psychological evaluation of airforce pilots, and the cognitive abilities crucial to flying a plane.

His published papers on the six key operations in human intelligence — cognition, memory recording, memory retention, divergent production, convergent production, and evaluation — inspired ad man Alex Osborn. The cofounder of legendary ad agency BBDO described the creative thinking process as a series of alternate loops of diverging-converging-diverging, in his seminal book, “Applied Imagination” (1953).

This method, argued Osborn, allows one to think beyond the “obvious” and “top of mind” ideas during the generative brainstorm, and then switch to a mode of down-selection and focus. Going straight into convergence —without first, casting the net wide with divergence— is limiting.

Here are some great tips on how you can use it in your day-today:

When in divergence:

• Defer judgment

• Combine and build

• Seek wild ideas

• Go for quantity

When in convergence:

• Be deliberate

• Check the objectives

• Be affirmative

• Consider novelty

Repeat.

Converge-diverge applies to technology cycles too. With all the hype around generative AI, I sense the ecosystem moving towards more of a convergence mode after the Cambrian explosion in the past 18 months. While I think we will still see creative and exploratory endeavors, we are entering a phase with founders approaching the space with more of a keen and critical eye — and asking pertinent questions about true value in its application and impact. This part of the cycle tends to be where generational companies are born.

Enjoy the update. As always, feedback welcome.

Tara

🔥 Latest News

1. Archetype AI (a Strange portfolio company!) announces Newton, a Large Behavior Model to understand the physical world.

   This AI Startup Wants You to Talk to Houses, Cars, and Factories

   Archetype builds AI models that act as a translation layer between humans and complex sensors, using plain language to help people understand what’s happening in a building, car, or human body

   www.wired.com/story/plaintext-ai-startup-archetype-talk-to-houses-cars-and-factories

   

2. Amazon spends $2.75 billion on AI startup Anthropic in its largest venture investment yet: Amazon is making its largest outside investment in its three-decade history as it looks to gain an edge in the artificial intelligence race. The deal was struck at the AI startup’s last valuation, which was $18.4 billion, according to a source.  

3. $100 billion Stargate AI Supercomputer unveiled by Microsoft and OpenAI: Microsoft and OpenAI have joined forces to embark on an ambitious project named the Stargate AI Supercomputer which will be built using a massive budget of $100 billion. This collaboration aims to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence and pave the way for the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). 

4. Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Katy Perry and other musicians sign letter against irresponsible AI: A group of 200 musicians signed an open letter calling on tech companies and developers to not undermine human creativity with AI music generation tools. “Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train AI models,” the letter reads. ”For many working musicians, artists and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic.”

5. What the kids are listening to these days. A thought-provoking piece on the next generation of creators making AI music and videos that rift on existing characters and IP, spotlighting an anonymous Youtube artist named Glorb whose videos amass millions of views, particularly from the Gen Z/Alpha crowd.