About Us
Manifold is a new kind of research lab that pursues large scale, thesis driven research. We currently focus on various moonshot projects within the broader field of Artificial Intelligence, but are also applying AI to numerous other fields including Biology, Medicine, Chemistry, & Space Robotics. In the future we hope to work on projects in the hard sciences as well. Importantly, we believe the impact of our research isn’t limited to papers, and that those discoveries that are useful to the broader world should be spun out / enabled in the most value generative way possible. Today, Manifold has a core team of 15 researchers and a broader OS community of 400+ async contributors and members. We have a unique operational approach, which is only made possible with the technology available in the modern age, which we outline below.
How We Work
Broadly speaking, there are two types of research groups in AI. Traditional academic or industrial research labs, which are composed of small and tightly connected teams, and large (often asynchronous) open source research groups, whose existence has been made possible by advancements in internet communities and code repositories. Traditional research labs typically have a strong mission focus, tight tasking and feedback loops, and can synchronize regularly to rectify misunderstandings. In contrast, large open source research groups benefit from massive labor pools and diverse perspectives and expertise. Manifold merges both of these models, we have both a large OS research community and a group of highly qualified, select volunteers who have made commitments and meet synchronously. As a result, we can make faster, concrete progress by relying on the strengths of both models.
Want to get involved?
Check out the Opportunities Page!