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Ben Goertzel is an AI researcher who ran the OpenCog artificial general intelligence project out of Hong Kong and co-founded iCog Labs in Addis Ababa with Ethiopian roboticist Getnet Aseffa Gezaw. He appears in over 80 emails in Epstein's archive spanning 2011 to 2016. Epstein funded Goertzel's Hong Kong OpenCog effort and hosted him at his Manhattan residence. In 2014, Epstein's foundation issued a press release claiming it helped launch AI in Ethiopia through iCog Labs. Goertzel wrote to Epstein's PR team in August 2014 correcting the record: the foundation had never funded iCog, which was seed-funded by investor Sander Olsen. Goertzel said he tolerated the false association because "Jeffrey has been so generous to me over the years." The articles were published anyway. He pitched Epstein on a $3M AGI project, a $75K Ethiopian teaching tablet, and AGI conference sponsorship. Epstein maintained Goertzel on his personal contacts list through at least October 2016.

Ethiopia

Emails (23)

Emails mentioning Ben Goertzel (16)

Ben Goertzel does not appear as a sender or recipient in these emails. They are referenced in the body text.