Sanctuary AI boss Geordie Rose steps down

Happy Thursday, and welcome to your Morning Report!

After founding Sanctuary AI in 2018 and spending the last six years as its helm, celebrated CEO Geordie Rose is stepping down.

The Vancouver-based company is focused on developing human-like robots powered by artificial intelligence, with the goal of filling labour gaps. The business received investment from BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund and InBC Investment Corporation earlier this year, bringing its total funding to over $140 million.

There’s no word on what prompted the change or what’s next for Rose, but a short statement on the company’s website describes the former leader as a “pioneering force and visionary in the development of human-like intelligence and humanoid robotics.”

Rose also founded and led both robotics and AI company Kindred.ai (now Ocado) and quantum computing leader D-Wave Systems as CEO and CTO, respectively. Sanctuary AI’s chief commercial officer, James Well, will stand in as interim CEO.

The news comes less than two weeks after former Sanctuary co-founder and CTO Suzanne Gildert announced that her new venture, Nirvanic, has left stealth mode. Nirvanic works on understanding consciousness through both biological neural systems and quantum computing simulations of neurons, which will then be applied to AI. Like Rose, Gildert spent time working at Vancouver’s D-Wave.

Now, onto your briefing.

-Emily

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