Former Humane Execs Launch AI Fact-Checking Startup Infactory

Two top executives from Humane, Brooke Hartley Moy and Ken Kocienda, have left the AI hardware company to establish their own startup, Infactory. This new venture, unlike Humane, will steer clear of hardware and focus on providing a fact-checking search engine powered by AI.

A Shift from Hardware to Software

Brooke Hartley Moy, the former Strategic Partnerships Lead, and Ken Kocienda, the former Head of Product Engineering at Humane, are launching Infactory. This startup aims to be a fact-checking search engine that leverages AI to create a natural language interface, simplifying user queries without the need for varied word configurations.

AI's Role in Infactory

Infactory will use AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), to enhance the user interface. However, the search results will not be AI-generated summaries but will be sourced directly from trusted resources with proper citations. This approach is intended to avoid the inaccuracies and hallucinations often associated with generative AI services.

Target Audience and Subscription Model

Infactory's primary market will be enterprise customers, including newsrooms and research facilities, rather than individual consumers. The service will focus on providing accurate data, such as financial comparisons between companies, ensuring the information comes from the most reliable sources.

Strategic Partnerships and Funding

The startup plans to be selective in forming partnerships, prioritizing data vendors over content providers to ensure accuracy. Infactory has raised pre-seed funding, though the amount and investors remain undisclosed. The focus will be on securing seed funding over the next six to 18 months.

Context and Founders' Perspective

The departure of Moy and Kocienda from Humane comes amid struggles for the latter, including layoffs and rumors of a potential sale. Despite these challenges, both founders deny that Humane’s issues influenced their decision to leave. They emphasize the difficulties of hardware innovation and express respect for those who take such risks, seeing value in the diversity and innovation brought by startups.

Upcoming Launch

Infactory is expected to launch in the coming months, marking a new chapter for its founders and aiming to set a standard in AI-enhanced fact-checking.