surplus.dev

An incubator for software startups, to create massive public good in the age of transformative AI. It's a 3 month program, starting late July in SF. We provide seed funding, advice, peers, intros, and space to focus.

Projects we’re excited for

We’re open to many proposals, but here are three categories of projects we’re particularly well-suited to incubate:

1. AI for epistemics and coordination

LLM-powered tools that help people think better, work together, and build common knowledge.

Examples include:

• Guardian angels/”Digital Twins”, as described by Gwern
• Fact-checking like Community Notes or Pangram
• Knowledge bases like Grokipedia or Longterm Wiki
• High-quality research reports like Elicit or Deep Research
• AI for forecasting like Mantic or Futuresearch
• AI simulation of human preferences, like Simile or Aaru
• AI for dispute resolution (eg prediction market criteria; legal courts)
• AI for democratic resilience & resisting authoritarianism

2. Public-facing websites

Many concepts in AI safety could be translated for a wider audience, with thoughtful design and an eye for virality.

Examples include:

• Microsites like AI 2027, showcasing concepts through narrative & interactive design
• Visualizations like Epoch and Our World in Data