Core Insights - The article discusses Eric Zelikman's departure from xAI to create a new company, Humans&, focusing on developing AI that understands human emotions rather than just performing tasks [1][3][10] - Zelikman believes that the next step for AI is to achieve emotional intelligence, which he sees as essential for true wisdom in AI [2][10] Company Overview - Eric Zelikman, a former core member of xAI, founded Humans& with a vision to bridge the gap between AI and human understanding, aiming for a valuation of $4 billion and raising $1 billion in funding [1][5][10] - The company seeks to create AI models that incorporate emotional understanding into their responses, moving beyond traditional metrics of accuracy and reasoning depth [7][10] Industry Trends - The shift in investment focus from computational power to emotional intelligence in AI is highlighted, with significant funding being directed towards companies that prioritize understanding human emotions [8][12] - The article notes that while AI can recognize emotions, it still lacks the ability to genuinely understand or experience empathy, indicating a gap in current AI capabilities [12][13] Future Vision - Zelikman envisions a future where AI is not just a tool for efficiency but a partner that can empathize and connect with humans on a deeper level [10][14] - The article suggests that the ultimate goal of AI development may shift from merely achieving high performance to fostering better human understanding and connection [15][16]