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PUBLIC VIEWPOINTS

Mike McCormick

Interview participant ·

1 interviews · 3 viewpoints · 1 topics

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Attributed viewpoints, ordered by interview date. A snapshot of these conversations, not a definitive statement of someone’s beliefs.

AI safety

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AI safety

Coupling standards with insurance creates market-driven safety incentives

Mike McCormick describes backing a company that pairs an AI safety standard—similar to SOC 2 but for AI—with an insurance policy available only to compliant firms. This dual product aims to create a race-to-the-top dynamic: enterprise customers demand certified vendors, aligning commercial incentives with safer AI deployment.

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Original excerpt

one is a standard. Think of it like a SOC two standard but for AI. And if you wanna meet this standard, you have to meet these 50 something check boxes that have to do with your safety practices and your security practices and etcetera. And then along with that standard comes an insurance policy, which you can only buy if you meet the standard.

Mike McCormick·

Zero to One in AI Safety: Halcyon’s Mike McCormick on Launching 30 New Orgs and the Founder Bottleneck

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Open original · 10:07 (opens in a new tab)Transcript source (opens in a new tab)

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Mike McCormick
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AI safety

Experienced leaders are the critical bottleneck in AI safety execution

Mike McCormick argues the biggest constraint in AI safety isn’t a lack of ideas, but a shortage of seasoned founders and leaders. He observed the field was dominated by very young professionals and lacked people who had built successful companies, managed large teams, or held senior government roles—motivating Halcyon’s focus on recruiting experienced talent into the space.

Supporting evidence

Original excerpt

the biggest bottleneck to solving this problem or to sort of speed running these fields is a shortage of really amazing founders and leaders. Right? Like, I started making grants in AI safety three or four years ago, maybe four or five years ago. And I was really struck by just how young the space was.

Mike McCormick·

Zero to One in AI Safety: Halcyon’s Mike McCormick on Launching 30 New Orgs and the Founder Bottleneck

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Open original · 22:43 (opens in a new tab)Transcript source (opens in a new tab)

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Mike McCormick
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AI safety

Early talent density triggers compounding recruitment and funding advantages

Mike McCormick observes that top-performing AI safety organizations share a common pattern: attracting an initial core of exceptional talent draws in peers, which in turn attracts funders seeking high-quality teams. This creates a self-reinforcing flywheel—early hiring decisions disproportionately shape long-term organizational success and fundraising capacity.

Supporting evidence

Original excerpt

they do a great job at at getting a bunch of the best talent. Right? And then, like, you know, the first really talented five people come in, and then, like, the next few people are like, oh, like, all my smartest friends are going there. Let's go there. And then the funders see that. And, of course, the funders wanna fund places that, you know, have really great talent

Mike McCormick·

Zero to One in AI Safety: Halcyon’s Mike McCormick on Launching 30 New Orgs and the Founder Bottleneck

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Open original · 8:27 (opens in a new tab)Transcript source (opens in a new tab)

Start time comes from the supplied transcript. Playback alignment is awaiting review.

Mike McCormick
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Statements by interview date1

Statements are ordered by the original interview publication date; differences in wording do not establish a change of position.