My friends all hate AI; I just joined an AI startup

The author, who co-founded fast.ai a decade ago to democratize AI development and promote ethical practices, is joining an AI startup focused on education despite widespread skepticism from friends and colleagues about AI's negative impacts. While acknowledging legitimate concerns—including overhyped capabilities, student plagiarism, poor-quality AI education products, and massive waste like LA's $3 million fraud case—the author believes there is still meaningful work to be done in the field. The decision reflects a continued commitment to steering AI development in a more responsible and inclusive direction, even as the concentration of power among major AI labs has only increased.