OUR MORAL COMPASS FOR AI INVESTMENTS
At Wildwood Ventures we believe Artificial Intelligence will have a multi-generational impact on human behavior, relationships, and self-perception. Its impact may be greater than any technology shift society has ever witnessed.
AI can already exceed human capacity in many ways, and its integration into daily life will beg deep questions like “what is human?’ and ‘what is sacred to the human experience?’
Wildwood’s mission to enable more Healthy & Active Lifestyles requires that we think critically about AI’s impact on human health and wellbeing. Our investing requires heightened moral clarity, because we believe humanity is sacred.
As venture capital investors, we desire to shape a future where AI brings out the best in people by respecting what makes us human, by building human capacity, and by elevating each person’s ability to realize God-given purpose. We believe AI can be a tool for human flourishing, not merely for a few but for all.
Yet it will take deeply committed entrepreneurs, customers, investors, thinkers, and more to realize such a vision.
Accordingly, we commit to uphold five principles in our AI investment decisions:
Promote Human Relationship
We will invest in AI that deepens human-to-human connection, but not in tools designed to imitate and replace physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual bonds between people.
‘We must love other people, not our AI companions’
Maintain Mental Freedom
We will back AI that builds human capability and intention, not that promotes dependency, addiction, passive consumption, or outright exploitation.
‘We must learn from the painful lessons of social media’
Protect Critical Thinking
We will fuel AI that strengthens judgment and reflection, not that nudges users toward convenience at the expense of personal capacity.
‘We must deeply protect the ability to think for ourselves’
Ensure Transparency + Safety
We will champion clarity in all AI-human interactions. Users must always know when they’re engaging directly with a machine, and what its limitations are.
‘We must know when we’re talking to soulless code’
Enable Dignified Work
We seek AI that augments human work, customer value, creativity and care, not tools designed solely for job elimination to maximize profit.
‘We must keep humanity at the center of work’
While Wildwood will undoubtedly misstep along the way, we commit to upholding a moral lens in all our investing that can tip the odds toward AI’s positive impact for human health and wellbeing.