Synthetaic is a startup working to create data, especially images, that can be used to train artificial intelligence.
Founder and CEO Corey Jaskolski's experience includes working with National Geographic (where he was recently named Explorer of the Year) and a 3D media startup. In fact, he told me his time with National Geographic made him aware of the need for multiple datasets for storage.
Sounds like a strange match? Well, Jaskolski said he was working on a project that could automatically identify poachers and endangered animals from camera footage, and one of the biggest hurdles was the fact that there simply aren't enough existing images of both poachers. which generally don't appreciate being photographed) or some endangered animals in the wild to train AI to detect them.
He added that other companies are trying to create synthetic artificial intelligence training data through 3D world construction (in other words, "build a replica of the world you want to learn artificial intelligence in"), but in many cases this approach is prohibitive.
In contrast, the Synthetaic (pronounced "synthetic") combines the work of 3D artists and modelers with technology based on antagonistic generative networks, making it much more accessible and scalable, according to Jaskolski.
To illustrate the "interaction" between the two halves of Synthetaic's model, he went back to the example of identifying poachers: the startup's 3D team could create photorealistic models of an AK-47 (and other weapons), then use nets antagonists to generate hundreds of thousands of images or more that show that model against different backgrounds.
The startup validates its results even after an AI has been trained on Synthetaic's synthesized images, testing that AI on real data.
For Synthetaic's initial projects, Jaskolski said he wants to partner with organizations that do work that makes the world a better place, including Save the Elephants (which uses technology to monitor animal populations) and the University of Michigan ( which is developing an AI that can identify different types of brain tumors).
Jaskolski added that Synthetaic customers don't need any AI expertise because the company provides an "end-to-end" solution.
The startup announced today that it has raised $ 3.5 million in initial funding led by Lupa Systems. with the participation of Betaworks Ventures and TitletownTech (a partnership between Microsoft and Green Bay Packers). The startup, which has now raised a total of $ 4.5 million, is also part of Lupa's Betalab program and Betaworks of startups doing work that could help "fix the Internet."