Two former Humane execs have left the struggling AI hardware startup to found Infactory, an AI-powered fact-checking search engine focused exclusively on data. The move comes as Humane faces post-launch struggles with its much-hyped AI device.
Founders’ background: Brooke Hartley Moy, former Humane Strategic Partnerships Lead, and Ken Kocienda, former Head of Product Engineering, are now CEO and CTO of Infactory, respectively.
- Both founders have significant experience at major tech companies, with Hartley Moy previously at Humane and Kocienda spending 16 years at Apple before joining Humane.
- Their departure echoes Humane’s own origin story, as its founders also left longtime roles at Apple to launch the AI hardware startup.
Infactory’s AI-powered approach: The new search engine will utilize large language models to enable more natural queries, but the actual search results will come directly from trusted data sources without the risk of AI hallucinations.
- Infactory aims to provide accurate, data-focused search results for use cases like directly comparing companies’ financials or device sales numbers.
- The platform will be selective in its data partnerships, prioritizing vendors that ensure computational accuracy as their core business.
- Infactory plans to use a subscription model targeted at enterprise customers like newsrooms and research facilities, rather than general consumers.
Distancing from Humane’s hardware struggles: While acknowledging the difficulty of launching a hardware startup, the Infactory founders deny that Humane’s much-publicized post-launch challenges directly motivated their decision to leave and start their own company.
- Humane has faced layoffs and rumors of a potential sale after its AI Pin device received poor reviews and lackluster consumer interest.
- By focusing on a software-based AI platform for fact-checking, Infactory is strategically avoiding the complex world of hardware that has plagued Humane.
Funding and launch plans: Infactory has raised an undisclosed pre-seed round and will focus on securing seed funding over the next 6-18 months, with a planned launch coming in a matter of months.
Analyzing deeper: The story of two key execs leaving a struggling AI hardware startup to found a software-based AI fact-checking tool raises intriguing questions about the current state of the AI industry:
- Will more talent migrate from challenging hardware plays to software-based AI platforms in the near future?
- As generative AI grows ever more powerful, does focusing on factual data synthesis rather than general search or content generation offer a more stable business opportunity?
- Can a selective approach to data partnerships truly mitigate the risk of AI hallucinations and inaccuracies that have plagued other AI search and knowledge platforms?
Infactory’s launch plans will provide a fascinating test case to explore these crucial questions. The backgrounds of its founders and the startup’s strategic decisions thus far hint at key emerging dynamics in the rapidly evolving AI startup landscape.
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