Latest news with #Ohanian
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Digg's founders explain how they're building a site for humans in the AI era
The rebooted version of social site Digg aims to bring back the spirit of the old web at a time when AI-generated content is threatening to overwhelm traditional social media platforms, drowning out the voices of real people. This presents an opportunity to build a social site for the AI era, where the people who create content and manage online communities are given a bigger stake in a platform's success, Digg's founders think. A Web 2.0-era news aggregation giant, Digg was once valued at $175 million at its height back in 2008 and is now being given new life under the direction of its original founder, Kevin Rose, and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. The two recently teamed up to announce a new vision for Digg, which will focus on enabling discovery and community, the way that the early internet once allowed for. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference on Thursday, the founders offered more insight as to how they plan to accomplish that goal with the Digg reboot. Initially, the two touched on problems they encountered in the earlier days of social media, with Ohanian recalling how he chose to resign from Reddit's board over disagreements about the company's approach to hate speech that he felt was bad for society and the business. For instance, the company was allowing a forum on Reddit called "r/WatchPeopleDie" to continue operating up until the Christchurch mass shooting, which caught the attention of the media, he said. It was only then that Reddit decided to adjust its policies around violence and gore on the platform. After Reddit, Ohanian went on to found venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, where he says he's focused on building businesses that are more "values-aligned." He said he sees Digg as another step in that direction. Rose reflected on the early days of machine learning, where the technology was often used to reward posts on which people would rant about the "most obscure, kind of fringe-y weirdness," he said. "Sometimes that can be good, but oftentimes it's pushing really weird agendas. And that's not even getting into the whole bot and AI side of things that are also pushing those agendas," Rose said. With Digg, the founders want to create a new community focused on serving real people, not AI or bots, they said. "I've long subscribed to the 'dead internet theory,'" Ohanian said, referencing the idea that much of what we see online is not created by actual humans, but bots. Ten years ago, this was more of a conspiracy theory, but with the rise of AI, that's changed, he said. "Probably in the last few years -- since we've blown past the Turing test -- [the dead internet theory] is a very real thing." "I think the average person has no idea just how much of the content they consume on social media, if it's not an outright bot, is a human using AI in the loop to generate that content at scale, to manipulate and evade," he added. To address the rise of bots, the founders are looking toward new technology, like zero-knowledge proofs (aka zk proofs), a protocol used in cryptography that could be used to prove that someone owns something on a platform. They're envisioning communities where admins could turn the dials, so to speak, to verify that a poster is human before allowing them to join the conversation. "The world is going to be flooded with bots, with AI agents," Rose pointed out, and that could infiltrate communities where people are trying to make genuine human connections. Something like this recently occurred on Reddit, where researchers secretly used AI bots to pose as real people on a forum to test how AI could influence human opinion. "We are going to live in a world where the vast, vast majority of the content we're seeing is in … some shape or form, AI-generated, and it is a terrible user experience if the reason you're coming to a place is for authentic human connection, and it's not with humans -- or it's with people masquerading as humans," Ohanian said. He explained that there are a number of ways that social sites could test to see if someone is a person. For instance, if someone has owned their device for a longer period of time, that could add more weight to their comment, he suggested. Rose said that the site could also offer different levels of service, based on how likely someone was to be human. If you signed up with a throw-away email address and used a VPN, for example, then maybe you would only be able to get recommendations or engage in some simpler ways. Or if you were anonymous and typed in a comment too quickly, the site could then ask you to take an extra step to prove your humanity -- like verifying your phone number or even charging you a small fee if the number you provided was disposable, Rose said. "There's going to be these tiers that we do, based on how you want to engage and interact with the actual network itself," he confirmed. However, the founders stressed they're not anti-AI. They expect to use AI to help in areas like site moderation, including de-escalating situations where someone starts to stir up trouble. In addition to verifying humans, the founders envision a service where moderators and creators financially benefit from their efforts. "I do believe the days of unpaid moderation by the masses -- doing all the heavy lifting to create massive, multi-million-person communities -- has to go away. I think these people are putting in their life and soul into these communities, and for them not to be compensated in some way is ridiculous to me. And so we have to figure out a way to bring them along for the ride," Rose said. As one example, he pointed to how Reddit trademarked the term "WallStreetBets," which is the name of a forum created by a Reddit user. Instead, Rose thinks a company should help creators like this who add value to a community, not try to take ownership of their work as Reddit did. With the combination of improved user experience and a model that empowers creators to monetize their work, the founders think Digg itself will benefit. "I want to believe the business model that will make Digg successful is one that aligns all those stakeholders. And I think it is very, very possible," Ohanian said. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why is Serena Williams at the FA Cup final this weekend?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Serena Williams will attend Chelsea vs Manchester United. | Credit: Getty Images Serena Williams is set to attend the Women's FA Cup final after her husband and Reddit co-founder Alexia Ohanian bought a reported 10% stake in Chelsea women. Advertisement Ohanian, who has invested in women's teams like Angel City in the past, has bought a stake thought to be worth £20m, meaning the club value is at £200m. It has been reported he will be at Wembley with his wife and tennis star Serena this Sunday as Chelsea take on Manchester United in their hunt for the treble. Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian: How did the investment come about? Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian will be at Wembley | Credit: Getty Images Ohanian announced his investment on Wednesday holding a Chelsea shirt with both his daughters names on the back. He also seemed to endorse the investment figure as he quoted a piece from The Times in his announcement that referenced the 10% stake. Chelsea are on track for the treble this season | Credit: Getty Images He said: "I've bet big on women's sports before—and I'm doing it again. I'm proud to announce that I'm joining @ChelseaFCW as an investor and board member. Advertisement "I'm honoured for the chance to help this iconic club become America's favourite @BarclaysWSL team and much, much more. "These players are rewriting the game. Undefeated season. Eyes on the treble. But this isn't just about winning titles. It's about finally matching their talent with the resources, visibility, and respect they deserve. I've been right about this before, and I couldn't be more excited. "And you know we got the entire family READY. Thank you to @AkiMandhar, our club President, and her team for the care package — her integrity and focus on a standard of excellence were a huge factor in why this was such a "Hell Yes"-type investment." Chelsea won their sixth consecutive WSL title | Credit: Getty Images In the past, he has invested in National Women's Soccer League club Angel City, as well as investing some of his daughters' trust funds in the team. Advertisement That made his daughters the youngest owners in professional sport. He is also the owner of LA golf club. Chelsea had an invincible Women's Super League season this campaign and have already won the League Cup. They were knocked out of the Women's Champions League by holders Barcelona in the semi-finals, so the quadruple is no longer possible. But a domestic treble is on the cards, and if they claim it, they would do so for just the second time in their history. The only time Chelsea has won the treble was in the 2020/21 season.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Humans Have 4 Years Before AI Can Do Everything They Can Do, OpenAI COO Says
Homo sapiens had a good run. But OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap said Thursday AGI — or artificial general intelligence, where AI models can perform any intellectual task that humans can — will be reached within the next few years. 'I think it is possible that in the next four years, we do approximate something like [AGI], and it's a testament to how fast things are moving,' Lightcap said. His comment came during a discussion at The Wall Street Journal's 'The Future of Everything' Conference in New York City. What AGI will mean for humanity has been hotly debated among AI enthusiasts in recent years. Some believe it will spur a wave of unmatched creativity and productivity — an argument made at the conference a day earlier by Groq CEO Jonathan Ross — while others have said they are worried it could lead to mass unemployment, or worse. Elon Musk, notably, is bullish on AI. But he has also said he is worried AI could pose a 'fundamental risk' to humanity if it is goes rogue and is not aligned with humans. Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, said during a different panel on Thursday that he believes 'the pure software part of Silicon Valley' will have a 'reckoning' in the next few years as a result of AI. 'I don't relish or celebrate any of this,' Ohanian said. 'I do think more new jobs and careers will be created, but the business of building software is going to look tremendously different in the coming months and years.' Lightcap on Thursday said, for now, AI models like ChatGPT are simply great tools for humans. But 'with the rate of improvement' models are showing, a 'fairly steep takeoff' in AI capabilities is right around the corner, he believes. AI was a hot topic at the 'Future of Everything' conference this week. Beyond Ohanian's comments, Imagine Entertainment bosses Ron Howard and Brian Grazer on Wednesday said they are both 'excited' by AI and use it as a tool to jumpstart ideas or help with post-production work. But they also said they do not believe it can or will replace writers anytime soon. On Thursday, Lightcap said OpenAI has not made any formal deals with entertainment studios because his company is still building a 'level of trust' with Hollywood. He said he expects that to change in the years moving forward, as its tools advance and are more useful for professional filmmakers. The post Humans Have 4 Years Before AI Can Do Everything They Can Do, OpenAI COO Says appeared first on TheWrap.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sha'Carri Richardson joins Team USA stars getting Athlos stake
Sha'Carri Richardson during the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. PHOTO: REUTERS (Bloomberg) – Athlos, the all-female track event founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is expanding into a team-based league for 2026 and adding field events. The league will be headlined by Olympic medallists and Team USA standouts Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall, who will all serve as adviser-owners and shareholders in the league. 'For so long, athletes, especially in track, have carried the show but never owned the stage. To have a seat at the table where the decisions get made? That's powerful,' Richardson said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg. Ohanian launched Athlos – the Greek word for contest – in 2024 in an ambitious attempt to shake up women's track, combining music, racing and bigger prize money. Athlos held its inaugural race in September 2024 at Icahn Stadium in New York City. It showcased six sprint style races, with a DJ playing in between every race and each runner being introduced with a walkout song. They gave away one of the largest prize purses in the sport's history along, with US$60,000 (S$77,200) for the winners plus a Tiffany's crown. The night ended with a concert by rapper Megan Thee Stallion. 'Athlos isn't just trying to fit track into an old model. It's building something new that honours the athletes, the culture, and the competition in a way that grabs people's attention and makes the sport accessible. That's what's going to push the sport into the mainstream,' Richardson said of how Athlos is set to elevate the sport. The first season drew about three million viewers, the company said. Now they will host another race at Icahn Stadium in October 2025 before launching the league next year. No specific financials were released about the league, but Athlos confirmed there will be individual prizes per meet, and a team prize for the championship. Giving the founding athletes equity wasn't something planned when they initially signed on to be part of the league. 'That wasn't even a part of the conversation,' Ohanian said in an interview. 'So you can imagine it was a nice surprise to say, hey, look, we're doing a league now, and we'd love to have you involved and have a stake in it.' Athletes have increasingly taking stakes in the growing number of new startups outside of tradtional leagues and competitions. San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul recently bought into Tiger Woods' Tomorrow's Golf League franchise Jupiter Links GC, joining sports stars including Mike Trout and Harry Kane as backers of the team. Footballers including Diogo Jota, Diogo Dalot, and Mason Mount invested in Baller League, a six-a-side football competition backed by a range of influencers and former footballers. Ohanian, who funded Athlos through his 776 venture capital firm, is looking to making track a lot more fun for fans and boosted viewership, thereby increasing pay for the athletes beyond the four-year Olympic cycle. A push has been made to capture the popularity of track and field outside of mainstream athletic events. Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track launched in April with a US$12.6 million prize pot, with US$100,000 for the winner of each event. Next year will see the launch of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, with a US$10 million pot and US$150,000 for first place. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
25-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
Lionesses' Euro triumph catalyst for Ohanian's Chelsea investment
His £20 million ($27 million) investment is timely after Arsenal, who finished 12 points off Chelsea in the Women's Super League title race, won the Champions League on Saturday after beating three-time winners Barcelona. Ohanian -- who sold Reddit for $10 million in 2006 and has since made a fortune in other investments -- has form in investing in women's football teams. In 2019 he invested in Los Angeles-based Angel City FC and last year the club was sold to Walt Disney Company's chief executive Bob Iger for $250 million. However, it was England's extra-time win over Germany at Wembley in 2022 that turned Ohanian's head in terms of looking to invest in English domestic football. "England winning felt like an important turning point in the women's game," the 42-year-old told the Sunday Times. "Now you had a generation of boys and girls who were so proud —- and it was the women who did it. "I know how important it was for England to bring it home." He said his investment had met with approval from his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams, a stark contrast to when she tried unsuccessfully to persuade him not to buy into Angel City. Ohanian, Williams, dressed in pale blue, and their seven-year-old daughter Olympia were at Wembley last Sunday as Chelsea beat Manchester United 3-0 in front of 74,000 spectators to lift the FA Cup. Ohanian said the impact 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams had made on her sport was the "proof point" for the potential in women's football. "More Americans this year will watch the US Open women's final than the men and that's incredible," said Ohanian, who lives in Florida with Williams and their two children. "Thanks to Billie Jean King fighting for equal pay and generational talent like Venus (Williams) and Serena monetising it, they have blown up the sport into national consciousness." 'Fanatical about Wrexham' Ohanian, whose father is Armenian and mother German, said US women's football has a vastly higher profile than in England. "It is very much considered a women's sport because we've never had a legacy of excellence on the men's side," he said. His remarks are reflected by Chelsea, despite their treble exploits in which they also became the first team to go through a 22-game WSL season unbeaten, not even having a permanent home ground. The two stadiums they play at have capacities of just over 2,000 and 3,000. Ohanian was coy about whether this scenario could change some time soon. "I can't give any scoops yet," he said. "Let's say we want the best match day experience possible." Ohanian says the success of the men's Wales-based English league team Wrexham since it was bought by Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney shows what can be achieved. Wrexham sealed their place in the second-tier Championship last month to become the first club from the top five divisions of English football to secure three consecutive promotions. "If you set aside the (Lionel) Messi effect in Miami (he joined Inter Miami in 2023), there are more Americans who are fanatical about Wrexham than any other MLS club," said Ohanian. "And how many of those Americans can find Wales on a map? No disrespect to Wales.
