An alumnus of DeepMind, Google's AI research arm, has set up a new venture capital fund, Mythos Ventures, that will fund AI startups.。

Former DeepMind researcher Vishal Maini founded Mythos earlier this year and raised $14 million from more than 40 investors, according to a filing this month.。

Maini, a former employee of Alphabet's Google Inc., now hopes to reshape AI technology with the money he has as an entrepreneur, investor or both。

"Space exploration, climate change, longevity, and healthcare are topics I've been following, and AI is officially a transformative technology to enable it all."。Maini said in his first interview about the fund.。"This is the future of science fiction that has always been in our minds, but humans still dominate.。"

Last year, venture capitalists and public companies poured billions of dollars into AI startups, energizing the new industry and fueling concerns that the technology lacks adequate regulation.。

The safety and ethics of AI were a key focus for Maini during his time at DeepMind, and it remains a top priority for him today as an investor.。Mythos will support AI startups in their seed stages to develop what he calls "pro-social technology."。Maini said he will also continue to look for startups that promise to transform the old economy and have long-term plans for the future of artificial intelligence.。

Maini revealed that Mythos is based in San Francisco and aims to write checks for $100,000-1 million.。So far, the company has invested in an invisible company and three other startups: Monumental Labs, a robotic stone carving factory, Value Base, a real estate valuation firm, and Elxit, a research associate.。

Elicit, a philanthropic company spun off from Ought (a nonprofit research lab), said on Monday (Sept. 25) that it has raised $9 million, led by venture capital firm Fifty Years, with investments from Mythos, Google's chief scientist Jeff Dean and others.。

Despite Maini's experience and the market's enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, the first financing was "very difficult."。

"These are very difficult times for financing," Maini said.。

Maini said investors in Mythos's first fund included late-stage AI venture firm Metaplanet Holdings, Delphi Ventures, Operating Group and several individuals focused on AI.。