In a world bursting with information, keeping up with scientific research, legal documents, and industry reports can feel like an insurmountable task. But thanks to the innovative mind of Cyrus Khajvandi, a Stanford biology graduate and seasoned entrepreneur, that challenge is becoming a thing of the past. Khajvandi, recognizing the accessibility of AI technology, embarked on a mission to develop an AI platform that could not only summarize but also answer questions about documents, especially complex scientific studies.

Enter Humata AI, a platform that soared into existence in February, bolstered by the expertise of former Labelbox founder Dan Rasmuson, who joined as CTO. This groundbreaking platform has swiftly gained traction, processing tens of millions of pages of documents, amassing millions of users, and securing a substantial $3.5 million in funding from investors that include tech giants like Google’s Gradient Ventures, ARK Invest, and M13.

Khajvandi, in an exclusive email interview with TechCrunch, shared his mission: “Our mission at Humata is to empower people and organizations to make smarter and faster decisions by being able to ask questions across all their files. Humata is like [OpenAI’s] ChatGPT for all your files.”

So, what sets Humata apart from other file-analyzing chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude? Simplicity, focus, and robustness. Humata is elegantly simple in its execution. It allows users to effortlessly ask questions about their documents, primarily PDF files, and receive accurate answers. Whether you’re an academic, a legal professional, an industry expert, or in customer support, Humata caters to your needs.

While other AI-powered chatbots offer similar document analysis features, Khajvandi argues that Humata’s limited functionality and dedicated focus make it a more robust choice. “People can ask AI any question and get the answer from their own data instantly with highlighted references,” he explains. This efficiency is made possible by recent advancements in AI, enabling every worker to obtain instant answers to their questions.

However, it’s important to address the elephant in the room: AI’s capacity for summarization. Fast Company’s assessment of ChatGPT’s article summarization capabilities revealed instances of inaccuracies, omissions, and even invented facts. But Khajvandi remains steadfast in Humata’s summarization prowess. The company meticulously trained its models on diverse datasets, rigorously testing them for bias. In addition, Humata collects only “necessary data” and employs formidable safeguards to prevent unauthorized access.

“We ensure informed consent, helping users understand what they’re agreeing to,” Khajvandi asserts. “As our AI systems advance, we’re careful not to infer sensitive information without explicit permission. We adhere to legal and ethical standards across different regions and cultures, making Humata enterprise-ready.”

With thousands of customers already on its paid plan, Humata plans to utilize its substantial capital, amounting to $3.58 million, inclusive of a pre-seed round, to further enhance its AI capabilities, enhance user experiences, and broaden its market reach.

Khajvandi went on to explain, “We chose to raise now because we’ve seen a growing demand for efficient, AI-driven solutions in synthesizing insights from vast volumes of enterprise files. The funds will help us develop new features, refine our existing products, and expand into new markets, ultimately empowering businesses to make better and faster decisions with their private data using Humata.”

In a digital world overflowing with data, Humata AI stands as a beacon of hope, simplifying the way we interact with documents, and transforming the process of answering questions into a seamless and efficient experience. With innovation and privacy at its core, Humata AI is poised to reshape the way we harness the power of AI in the realm of document analysis. Keep an eye on them…