"We're basically teaching our models to chase dopamine instead of truth," said Edwin Chen.
Surge AI CEO says he worries that companies are optimizing for 'AI slop' instead of curing cancer
"We're basically teaching our models to chase dopamine instead of truth," said Edwin Chen.
www.businessinsider.com
December 8, 2025 at 5:10 AM
"We're basically teaching our models to chase dopamine instead of truth," said Edwin Chen.
Sushant Mehta, Logan Ritchie, Edwin Chen: Cross-Benchmark Transfer from RL on Agentic Coding Tasks https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00890 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.00890 https://arxiv.org/html/2610.00890
October 2, 2026 at 6:44 AM
Sushant Mehta, Logan Ritchie, Edwin Chen: Cross-Benchmark Transfer from RL on Agentic Coding Tasks https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00890 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.00890 https://arxiv.org/html/2610.00890
1/ My latest for @forbes.com is a profile of a founder who holds outsized influence in the race to improve AI models and hates Silicon Valley culture.
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
AI Founder Edwin Chen Shunned VC. Now He’s Worth $18 Billion
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
www.forbes.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:30 PM
1/ My latest for @forbes.com is a profile of a founder who holds outsized influence in the race to improve AI models and hates Silicon Valley culture.
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Members of the #NJ AG's new TRUST committee for transparency include Sue Altman, Rev.Charles Boyer, Ronald Chen, Jennifer Davenport, John Farmer Jr., Paul Fishman, Jeannine LaRue, Virginia Long, Edward Neafsey, Hetty Rosenstein, Edwin Stier, and Debbie Walsh.
January 31, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Members of the #NJ AG's new TRUST committee for transparency include Sue Altman, Rev.Charles Boyer, Ronald Chen, Jennifer Davenport, John Farmer Jr., Paul Fishman, Jeannine LaRue, Virginia Long, Edward Neafsey, Hetty Rosenstein, Edwin Stier, and Debbie Walsh.
Edwin Chen fled Silicon Valley as a young man. Now he’s worth a reported $18bn while his unseen army improves the quality of artificial intelligence ⬇️
‘I hired a million of the world’s smartest people to fact-check AI’
Edwin Chen fled Silicon Valley as a young man. Now he’s worth a reported $18bn while his unseen army improves the quality of artificial intelligence
www.thetimes.com
December 21, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Edwin Chen fled Silicon Valley as a young man. Now he’s worth a reported $18bn while his unseen army improves the quality of artificial intelligence ⬇️
Wow, this was an incredibly powerful statement put out by the now fired CDC ACIP members, published yesterday in JAMA. Snippets posted below:
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
June 17, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Wow, this was an incredibly powerful statement put out by the now fired CDC ACIP members, published yesterday in JAMA. Snippets posted below:
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
2⭐️: DEADLY SCHOLARSHIP: THE TRUE STORY OF LU GANG AND MASS MURDER IN AMERICA’S HEARTLAND by Edwin Chen. 1995. True crime. Accountp
of what led to Lu Gang shooting 3 profs & a fellow student at UIowa in ‘91. Mostly speculation. Essay about that day is in the New Yorker. Link in comments. 💙📚 #booksky
of what led to Lu Gang shooting 3 profs & a fellow student at UIowa in ‘91. Mostly speculation. Essay about that day is in the New Yorker. Link in comments. 💙📚 #booksky
June 13, 2024 at 12:14 AM
2⭐️: DEADLY SCHOLARSHIP: THE TRUE STORY OF LU GANG AND MASS MURDER IN AMERICA’S HEARTLAND by Edwin Chen. 1995. True crime. Accountp
of what led to Lu Gang shooting 3 profs & a fellow student at UIowa in ‘91. Mostly speculation. Essay about that day is in the New Yorker. Link in comments. 💙📚 #booksky
of what led to Lu Gang shooting 3 profs & a fellow student at UIowa in ‘91. Mostly speculation. Essay about that day is in the New Yorker. Link in comments. 💙📚 #booksky
From an interview with Edwin Chen (Surge AI) - "We're basically teaching our models to chase dopamine instead of truth". He's not talking about sycophancy here but IMO this is one root of the sycophancy issue.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQ...
The $1B Al company training ChatGPT, Claude & Gemini on the path to responsible AGI | Edwin Chen
YouTube video by Lenny's Podcast
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 5:56 PM
From an interview with Edwin Chen (Surge AI) - "We're basically teaching our models to chase dopamine instead of truth". He's not talking about sycophancy here but IMO this is one root of the sycophancy issue.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQ...
Yi-Yang Liu, Kevin Chen, Kyungduk Kim, Ryotatsu Yanagimoto, Edwin Ng, Timothy P. McKenna, Marc Jankowski: Three-Wave Mixing as a High-Throughput Diagnostic Tool for Nonlinear Waveguides https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00747 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.00747 https://arxiv.org/html/2610.00747
October 2, 2026 at 6:58 AM
Yi-Yang Liu, Kevin Chen, Kyungduk Kim, Ryotatsu Yanagimoto, Edwin Ng, Timothy P. McKenna, Marc Jankowski: Three-Wave Mixing as a High-Throughput Diagnostic Tool for Nonlinear Waveguides https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.00747 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.00747 https://arxiv.org/html/2610.00747
Had an amazing visit to @UniofExeter. BTW it is a powerhouse of Behavioral/Experimental Econ got to chat with @boonhankoh.bsky.social, Brit Grosskopf, Edwin Ip, Cecilia Chen, Loukas Balafoutas, Miguel Fonseca, Stephen Nai…I’m sure I forgot someone 😮. Also my 6 y.o. loved Brit’s dog
March 20, 2024 at 6:31 PM
Had an amazing visit to @UniofExeter. BTW it is a powerhouse of Behavioral/Experimental Econ got to chat with @boonhankoh.bsky.social, Brit Grosskopf, Edwin Ip, Cecilia Chen, Loukas Balafoutas, Miguel Fonseca, Stephen Nai…I’m sure I forgot someone 😮. Also my 6 y.o. loved Brit’s dog
1/2 Amazing story from my colleague @pheebini.bsky.social about the CEO & founder of Surge AI, which is generating more revenue than any other AI company focused on data labeling (labeling = a crucial step in the process of training AI models).
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
AI Founder Edwin Chen Shunned VC. Now He’s Worth $18 Billion
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
www.forbes.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
1/2 Amazing story from my colleague @pheebini.bsky.social about the CEO & founder of Surge AI, which is generating more revenue than any other AI company focused on data labeling (labeling = a crucial step in the process of training AI models).
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
This is a fabulously written, in-depth profile of Edwin Chen, the billionaire founder of Surge AI and one of the key people to watch in the AI revolution. Incredible reporting and a must-read story from @pheebini.bsky.social
1/ My latest for @forbes.com is a profile of a founder who holds outsized influence in the race to improve AI models and hates Silicon Valley culture.
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Edwin Chen on aliens and Eminem but also bootstrapping Surge AI, why he'd never go public and the future of AI:
www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
AI Founder Edwin Chen Shunned VC. Now He’s Worth $18 Billion
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
www.forbes.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:50 PM
This is a fabulously written, in-depth profile of Edwin Chen, the billionaire founder of Surge AI and one of the key people to watch in the AI revolution. Incredible reporting and a must-read story from @pheebini.bsky.social
Surge AI CEO Edwin Chen said data labeling is often over-simplified. In his view, the work is "a lot more like raising a child."
Surge AI CEO explains why he hates the term 'data labeling'
Surge AI CEO Edwin Chen said data labeling is often over-simplified. In his view, the work is "a lot more like raising a child."
www.businessinsider.com
December 10, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Surge AI CEO Edwin Chen said data labeling is often over-simplified. In his view, the work is "a lot more like raising a child."
Incredible interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqs...
Surge CEO & Co-Founder, Edwin Chen: Scaling to $1BN+ in Revenue with NO Funding
YouTube video by 20VC with Harry Stebbings
www.youtube.com
August 31, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Incredible interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqs...
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
The AI Billionaire You've Never Heard Of
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
www.forbes.com
September 17, 2025 at 10:45 AM
An alum of Google and Twitter, Edwin Chen built his data labeling company, Surge, in the shadows of the AI revolution. Now the 37-year-old wants to make his voice heard.
Love the work of: Bernadette Mayer, Danez Smith, Claudia Rankine, Anne Boyer, Taylor Johnson, torrin greathouse, Jillian Weise, Raye Hendrix, Edwin Morgan, Jenny Xie, Sylvia Plath, Ada Limon, Chen Chen, CAConrad, Denise Riley, Jay Bernard, Nia Davies, Daisy Lafarge, Kathryn Nuernberger, & more
(4/)
(4/)
November 17, 2024 at 9:23 PM
Love the work of: Bernadette Mayer, Danez Smith, Claudia Rankine, Anne Boyer, Taylor Johnson, torrin greathouse, Jillian Weise, Raye Hendrix, Edwin Morgan, Jenny Xie, Sylvia Plath, Ada Limon, Chen Chen, CAConrad, Denise Riley, Jay Bernard, Nia Davies, Daisy Lafarge, Kathryn Nuernberger, & more
(4/)
(4/)
"100x engineers" because that's how many you need to fix everything the one engineer broke.
www.businessinsider.com/surge-ceo-ai...
www.businessinsider.com/surge-ceo-ai...
The '10x engineer' is old news. Surge's CEO says '100x engineers' are here.
Surge CEO Edwin Chen said AI makes the "100x engineer" possible and "disproportionately favors people who are already the '10x engineers.'"
www.businessinsider.com
July 22, 2025 at 10:15 PM
"100x engineers" because that's how many you need to fix everything the one engineer broke.
www.businessinsider.com/surge-ceo-ai...
www.businessinsider.com/surge-ceo-ai...
A profile of Edwin Chen, the CEO of Surge AI, a Scale AI rival that had $1.2B revenue in 2024, is profitable, and is reportedly raising $1B at a $30B valuation (Phoebe Liu/Forbes)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
September 21, 2025 at 6:01 AM
A profile of Edwin Chen, the CEO of Surge AI, a Scale AI rival that had $1.2B revenue in 2024, is profitable, and is reportedly raising $1B at a $30B valuation (Phoebe Liu/Forbes)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Edwin Chen (Artificial intelligence), net worth $18.00 billion
COULD BUY
Montenegro 🇲🇪, nominal GDP $13.28 billion
COULD BUY
Montenegro 🇲🇪, nominal GDP $13.28 billion
July 15, 2026 at 7:08 AM
Edwin Chen (Artificial intelligence), net worth $18.00 billion
COULD BUY
Montenegro 🇲🇪, nominal GDP $13.28 billion
COULD BUY
Montenegro 🇲🇪, nominal GDP $13.28 billion
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
WRITE ABOUT NOW:
Saturday, December 13, 2025
2-4pm
Parkside Lounge
317 East Houston; 10002
With:
Gina Apostol
Donald Breckenridge
Lisa Chen
Jared Daniel Fagen
Edwin Frank
Haleh Gafori
Eugene Lim
Daisuke Shen
Christopher Sorrentino
More info at:
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
WRITE ABOUT NOW:
Saturday, December 13, 2025
2-4pm
Parkside Lounge
317 East Houston; 10002
With:
Gina Apostol
Donald Breckenridge
Lisa Chen
Jared Daniel Fagen
Edwin Frank
Haleh Gafori
Eugene Lim
Daisuke Shen
Christopher Sorrentino
More info at:
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
December 3, 2025 at 3:12 PM
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
WRITE ABOUT NOW:
Saturday, December 13, 2025
2-4pm
Parkside Lounge
317 East Houston; 10002
With:
Gina Apostol
Donald Breckenridge
Lisa Chen
Jared Daniel Fagen
Edwin Frank
Haleh Gafori
Eugene Lim
Daisuke Shen
Christopher Sorrentino
More info at:
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
WRITE ABOUT NOW:
Saturday, December 13, 2025
2-4pm
Parkside Lounge
317 East Houston; 10002
With:
Gina Apostol
Donald Breckenridge
Lisa Chen
Jared Daniel Fagen
Edwin Frank
Haleh Gafori
Eugene Lim
Daisuke Shen
Christopher Sorrentino
More info at:
tinyurl.com/WriteAboutNow
🔔 NEW in the Medical Journal of Australia
Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study
✍️ Weisi Chen, Christine Y. Lu, Sarah N. Hilmer, Alice A. Gibson, Edwin C. K. Tan
👉 buff.ly/HHaMD5o
Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study
✍️ Weisi Chen, Christine Y. Lu, Sarah N. Hilmer, Alice A. Gibson, Edwin C. K. Tan
👉 buff.ly/HHaMD5o
July 19, 2026 at 10:01 PM
🔔 NEW in the Medical Journal of Australia
Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study
✍️ Weisi Chen, Christine Y. Lu, Sarah N. Hilmer, Alice A. Gibson, Edwin C. K. Tan
👉 buff.ly/HHaMD5o
Multimorbidity Clusters Among People Aged 65 Years and Over in Australia: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Data Linkage Study
✍️ Weisi Chen, Christine Y. Lu, Sarah N. Hilmer, Alice A. Gibson, Edwin C. K. Tan
👉 buff.ly/HHaMD5o
y’know who had ‘robust and balanced representation’ and ‘more direct relevant expertise’
June 24, 2025 at 12:57 AM
y’know who had ‘robust and balanced representation’ and ‘more direct relevant expertise’
400+ yrs experience
Helen K. Talbot,
Edwin Jose Asturias,
Noel T. Brewer,
Oliver Brooks,
Lin H. Chen,
Helen Y. Chu,
Sybil Cineas,
Denise J. Jamieson,
Mini Kamboj,
George Kuchel,
Jamie Loehr,
Karyn Lyons,
Yvonne Maldonado,
Charlotte A. Moser,
Robert Schechter,
Albert C. Shaw,
Jane R. Zucker
Helen K. Talbot,
Edwin Jose Asturias,
Noel T. Brewer,
Oliver Brooks,
Lin H. Chen,
Helen Y. Chu,
Sybil Cineas,
Denise J. Jamieson,
Mini Kamboj,
George Kuchel,
Jamie Loehr,
Karyn Lyons,
Yvonne Maldonado,
Charlotte A. Moser,
Robert Schechter,
Albert C. Shaw,
Jane R. Zucker
June 10, 2025 at 12:53 PM
400+ yrs experience
Helen K. Talbot,
Edwin Jose Asturias,
Noel T. Brewer,
Oliver Brooks,
Lin H. Chen,
Helen Y. Chu,
Sybil Cineas,
Denise J. Jamieson,
Mini Kamboj,
George Kuchel,
Jamie Loehr,
Karyn Lyons,
Yvonne Maldonado,
Charlotte A. Moser,
Robert Schechter,
Albert C. Shaw,
Jane R. Zucker
Helen K. Talbot,
Edwin Jose Asturias,
Noel T. Brewer,
Oliver Brooks,
Lin H. Chen,
Helen Y. Chu,
Sybil Cineas,
Denise J. Jamieson,
Mini Kamboj,
George Kuchel,
Jamie Loehr,
Karyn Lyons,
Yvonne Maldonado,
Charlotte A. Moser,
Robert Schechter,
Albert C. Shaw,
Jane R. Zucker
2/2 Edwin Chen worries that AI models are too often optimized to send users down "delusional rabbit holes." He thinks artificial general intelligence is still 20 years away. And he hired a drummer with no tech experience as his 5th employee. My kinda guy. Give it a read!
September 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
2/2 Edwin Chen worries that AI models are too often optimized to send users down "delusional rabbit holes." He thinks artificial general intelligence is still 20 years away. And he hired a drummer with no tech experience as his 5th employee. My kinda guy. Give it a read!
Portrait – 5 questions sur Edwin Chen, le milliardaire de l’IA dont vous n’avez jamais entendu parler ➡️ www.presse-citron.net/portrait-5-q...
January 25, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Portrait – 5 questions sur Edwin Chen, le milliardaire de l’IA dont vous n’avez jamais entendu parler ➡️ www.presse-citron.net/portrait-5-q...