The Bloomscroll Vision: Empowerment Is the New Algorithm
Do you ever feel drained after scrolling through social media? In a digital world overflowing with curated feeds and distraction-based algorithms, finding meaningful online interactions has become a challenge. A new kind of platform is emerging to address this issue, challenging the status quo and offering a different path forward. Bloomscroll is a new kind of platform designed to be a "light-mirror" alternative to doom-scrolling.
On Episode 96 of The Machine Minds Show, host Greg Toroosian, founder of Samson Rose, sits down with Grace Kay Matelich, a philosopher-turned-operator and co-founder of Bloomscroll. They explore her unique journey from running a suicide hotline to scaling AI operations, and how her experiences led her to co-found a company that challenges traditional social media.
A Career Path from Crisis-Line Work to AI Data-Ops
Grace's career path is a clear example of the profound impact human connection has had on her sense of purpose.
She began her career in a deeply human-centered field, running a suicide hotline in Montana for two years, a state with the highest suicide rate in the United States. This profound experience gave her an understanding of the immense value of empathy and the necessity of intentional, positive human connection. During her time there, she learned core skills that continue to influence her today, including how to truly listen, the importance of running a tight operational ship, and how to connect people to a broader network of needs and services.
Her path then led her into tech, where she worked with a startup focused on longevity science before transitioning to Invisible Technologies.
It was at Invisible Technologies, a company that quickly pivoted into the AI training space with the rise of foundational large language models (LLMs), that Grace gained a firsthand understanding of the inner workings of AI. This role provided her with critical insights into the ethical considerations of data-ops and the significant role that human data and curation play in shaping AI's output. Her time here revealed the true power of human intelligence and the ethical responsibilities that come with building the next generation of technology.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) Defined
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) refers to a hypothetical type of artificial intelligence with the ability to understand, learn, and perform any intellectual task that a human being can. Unlike the specialized AI systems in use today, AGI would possess the capacity for general, flexible intelligence, reasoning, and problem-solving across a broad range of domains.
AGI vs. Narrow AI
The distinction between AGI and today's AI is crucial. Current AI, often called narrow AI, is designed and trained for a single, specific purpose. Examples include a system that is exceptional at playing chess, a voice assistant that can only respond to verbal commands, or a machine learning model that predicts stock prices. These systems operate within predefined parameters and lack the ability to adapt to new, unrelated tasks without significant reprogramming.
Bloomscroll: Flipping the Script on Social Media
The idea for Bloomscroll was born from a realization that the alignment problems we worry about with AGI are already here in the form of social media.
Grace argues that today's recommendation engines, built to maximize engagement and screen time, have already reshaped human minds and social structures in negative ways, creating what many call "doom-scrolling." She believes these systems prioritize profit over human well-being, leading users down a "downward spiral" of comparison and distress.
As a purposeful alternative, Bloomscroll is a video-based platform that replaces the traditional engagement algorithm with an "empowerment algorithm." Unlike other platforms with endless feeds, Bloomscroll's curated experience is designed around the principle of essentialism, promoting "less but better" content. Users can tune their feeds in a proprietary way to align with their intentions and what is healthy for them. The app is even designed to log the user out after a limited number of videos, so that they feel charged up and ready to live their life rather than feeling stuck in a time-wasting loop.
To ensure its incentives are properly aligned with its mission, Bloomscroll uses a subscription-based business model. This directly contrasts with ad-supported platforms that profit from maximizing screen time. The team of engineers and innovators behind Bloomscroll is dedicated to redefining social infrastructure, moving beyond fragmented feeds to a model of collective intelligence that fosters collaboration, thoughtful discourse, and lasting impact. Their ultimate goal is to build technology that is truly aligned with human flourishing.
AGI, in contrast, would be a unified system capable of learning from experience and applying its intelligence to novel situations. It would possess common sense, creativity, and the ability to transfer knowledge from one domain to another, much like human intelligence.
Insights on the Future of AI and Founding
Grace offered several key insights on the current state of AI and the future of hard tech:
The AI Arms Race: She expresses concern that the intense competition in the AI space may push companies to cut ethical corners. She advocates for more collaborative efforts and suggests the formation of an "AI council," similar to a functional United Nations, to ensure AI is developed for the greater good of humanity rather than just for commercial gain.
"Robot Theater": Grace questions the trend toward developing humanoid robots, referring to it as "robot theater." She argues that this approach is often less about optimal design and more about a theatrical show for clicks, views, and investment. She believes that a design based on functional first principles, like using wheels for mobility, would be far more efficient for specific tasks than attempting to replicate a human form. She wishes that technology developers would get out of the way of their image and focus on building truly useful technologies.
Founding Philosophy: When it comes to building a team, Grace looks for grit, resilience, and strong values. She advises founders to hire execution-focused operational people early on to build a solid foundation. She also recommends a unique hiring technique: asking candidates what energizes and drains them to ensure they are a good fit for the role and the company's culture. This approach, she explains, is key to building a cohesive and sustainable team.
Through her journey and work with Bloomscroll, Grace is pioneering a new path for technology, one that prioritizes human well-being and autonomy.
Take Action Now!
To hear the complete, engaging conversation of Greg Toroosian with Grace Kay Matelich. Listen to Episode 96 | Empowerment Is the New Algorithm | Grace Kay Matelich here.
Explore Bloomscroll's mission and philosophy at their official website, bloomscroll.com, and read Grace's blog at bloomscroll.substack.com. Connect with Grace Kay Matelich on LinkedIn.
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