The Impact of AI on Industry: Insights from the Piva Capital and Prelude Ventures Event
Recently, Piva Capital and Prelude Ventures hosted an event at the Piva offices in San Francisco to discuss the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on industry, with a focus on environmental sustainability. The event was attended by founders, investors and industry experts who networked over drinks and enjoyed the view from the 39th floor of Four Embarcadero.
Panel Discussion
Led by Piva’s Claire Yun, the panel session diverged from the conventional one-way panel presentations to encourage a two-way dialogue, inviting insights from both the audience and experts in the field.
Panel speakers Greg Mulholland of Citrine Informatics and Zack Ulissi from Open Catalyst at Meta spoke about the convergence of artificial intelligence and climate technology and illuminated the significant capabilities and aspirations of generative AI. The panel also included the participation of notable attendees, including Helena Merk, CEO & Founder of Streamline Climate; Austin Sendek, CEO & Founder of Aionics; Marissa Ramirez, COO & Founder of Prompt AI and UC Berkeley Computer Science PhD; Julian Green, Founder of AI Open Earth; Sam Rodriques and Andrew White from Future House; as well as Bryan Horowitz, Joel Conkling, and Julian Helguero-Kelley from Google. Through a series of questions, the discussion delved into the fundamental nature of generative AI, its application in the speakers’ projects, its potential in climate technology, and the exciting prospects that generative AI holds for the future, highlighting collective anticipation for its groundbreaking impact.
Generative AI enables greenfield opportunities…but it’s not a panacea
In defining generative AI, Greg drew a comparison to how the Windows OS has evolved over the last several decades — initially, only a few colors were possible, so the universe of combinatory outputs was knowable. Eventually, it was possible to use millions of colors, and the universe of outputs became unfathomable. Generative AI is a tool that can be used to understand that universe to create net new things, whether that is colors, text, or molecules.
Zack added that the new outputs can be conditional or unconditional. Conditional outputs are premised on some desired property — which is especially relevant in the world of materials. Classical models require preexisting expertise to set these parameters; generative AI eliminates this overhead.
However, generative AI is only sometimes the best solution for every problem, particularly optimization problems. Classical models are better understood and tested, which is an advantage for real-world problems like materials and climate. Generative AI is simply “one more tool in the tool belt,” not a replacement for every tool we have.
Data, not models, are the moat
The speakers discussed Generative AI models for materials and how they rely on both open and closed datasets — simulation data tends to be openly shared in the community; in contrast, scientific literature and experimental datasets are locked behind paywalls or simply never shared beyond the lab. They both agreed that access to data is a key differentiator not just for these models but for any type of generative AI model. Models are evolving so quickly that competing on model quality is unsustainable. The upside is that the breakneck pace of progress — exceeding even the exponential learning curves we’ve seen with semiconductors historically — has unlocked incredible capabilities faster than what was thought possible.
Generative AI can have a direct impact on climate change
In regard to climate applications, Zack emphasized advancements in weather forecasting models, including combinations of models that improve prediction accuracy and asset reading. Additionally, AI applications in environmental monitoring, such as image segmentation and classification for analyzing satellite imagery, are proving vital. For instance, projects aimed at mapping individual trees to monitor deforestation exemplify how AI can contribute to understanding and mitigating climate change impacts. These applications underscore AI’s growing role in supporting environmental sustainability and the broader climate economy.
Greg spoke about distinguishing between adaptation and mitigation strategies. Adaptation involves direct actions like improved weather forecasting, while mitigation addresses the root causes of climate change, which is more challenging. Mitigation efforts touch on complex issues like carbon capture, energy generation, and the overall efficiency of highly polluting industries. He emphasized the importance of incremental improvements across various sectors, from making chemical plants more efficient, as Citrine does, to optimizing supply chains and reducing unnecessary fuel consumption. He emphasized that the goal is to achieve a multitude of small, impactful changes rather than relying on a few large-scale solutions.
Lightning round: What are you most excited about in generative AI?
Given the relentless pace of innovation, Claire ended the panel session by asking Greg and Zack what we should be most excited about for the future of generative AI.
Greg: “I think the biggest thing is that we are going to automate almost all rote administrative tasks. I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but if we can unleash creativity by removing the rote work that we do, we’re gonna solve a lot more problems.”
Zack: “Education is an exciting area. The superpower of having read every textbook that’s available in undergraduate education and being able to recall that is really cool. I don’t think we’re quite right there yet — but it feels like something we can all benefit from in the future.”
Parting Thoughts
Thank you to Greg and Zack for joining this discussion and to all the participants who participated from the audience. This conversation underscored the transformative power of AI, pointing towards a future where AI-driven innovations are at the forefront of solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
If you are a founder using AI for an innovative solution that has the potential to transform industry, Piva Capital is actively seeking to support trailblazers. We understand the challenges and complexities that come with scaling groundbreaking technologies. With experience, resources, and a network that can bolster your growth, we are committed to being a part of the solution — by investing in the people and technologies that will redefine our future.
