Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, has embarked on a new venture, launching an artificial intelligence startup called Stem AI, which is currently operating in stealth mode, TechCrunch has learned. Public documents reveal that Stem AI was incorporated in June 2023, and a trademark application was filed in August 2023, with Shear listed as CEO.

According to the trademark application, Stem AI is developing software aimed at creating AI that "understands, cooperates with, and aligns with human behavior, human preferences, human biology, human morality, and human ethics." This focus on human-AI alignment is particularly noteworthy, given Shear's previous public concerns about the potential risks of powerful AI.

Shear's co-founder at Stem AI is Adam Goldstein, best known for founding travel search and booking site Hipmunk, which was sold to Concur in 2016. Goldstein has a diverse background, having worked as a visiting scientist at Tufts University's Levin Labs, where he developed new models for biological systems with a focus on cancer, and later founded an incubator, Astonishing Labs, to back bio research.

When contacted for comment, Shear remained tight-lipped about Stem AI's plans, while Goldstein did not immediately respond to an email inquiry. Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a prominent venture capital firm, has invested in Stem AI, according to Pitchbook, but the firm's marketing representatives did not respond to TechCrunch's email.

In recent months, Shear has taken to social media to share his thoughts on AI design, safety, and regulation. He has expressed skepticism about current AI regulation proposals, suggesting that they are "bad ideas." Shear has also criticized most AI chatbots as being "highly dissociative agreeable neurotics" that lack a stable internal sense of self or goals, and instead feed off human predictability.

It is possible that Stem AI is working on solutions to address this "AI alignment" problem, which has been a long-standing concern for Shear. In a tech podcast last June, Shear voiced his worries that powerful AI could eventually destroy humanity, and advocated for international collaboration and treaties to establish an "AI test ban treaty."

Shear's brief stint as interim CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI in November 2023 provides additional context to his AI-related endeavors. After several board members ousted CEO Sam Altman, Shear was appointed interim CEO, but he threatened to resign if the board couldn't provide evidence to support Altman's removal. Shear publicly criticized the handling of Altman's removal, and eventually stepped down after an agreement was reached to reinstate Altman.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Stem AI's focus on human-AI alignment and Shear's concerns about AI safety and regulation highlight the pressing need for responsible AI development and deployment. With Andreessen Horowitz on board as an investor, Stem AI is poised to make a significant impact in the AI sector, and its progress will be closely watched by industry observers.