AI startup's situational tech for European defense funded by Spotify co-founder
NewsDecember 08, 2021
MUNICH. Co-founder of Spotify Daniel Ek has invested over $133 million into a Germany-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup called Helsing for the development of battlefield AI, according to a press release authored by YPOG, the advising legal team for the latest round of funding.
According to both Helsing's website and the YPOG press release, the AI-powered technology developer claims to be a creator of AI that is designed to serve democracies and provide AI technology for defense and national security of democratic nations.
The AI technology in question has been described by the company as a real-time software platform that will be designed to pull in and process data from various onboard sensor systems with the intent to create a unified view of the operating environment. The situational awareness software is aimed at speeding up the decision-making process for the warfighter.
While the announcement of Ek's role in funding has been met with backlash from Spotify users with #BoycottSpotify trending briefly on Twitter, it should be noted that Ek has paid for the development of this AI-powered defense technology through his European investment company Prima Materia, of which Ek is CEO.
