Coworking: Benjamin Döpfner is into the philosophy of AI

Coworking is a weekly segment where we spotlight Tech Brew readers who work with emerging technologies. Click here if you’d like a chance to be featured.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in tech?

Most people are familiar with robo-advisors like Wealthfront and Betterment. I’m building something like that, but for businesses instead of individuals. Too many companies have their idle cash just sitting in a bank account—not working for them or gaining interest—and I want to change that.

What’s the most compelling tech project you’ve worked on, and why?

My current work at Vesto, for sure. My long-term vision is to create one powerful financial operating system for companies. I believe that Vesto could be the world’s most valuable financial software company in a decade. As the sole founder of the business, this is what keeps me motivated and excited each day.

What technologies are you most optimistic about? Least? And why?

The answer to both of these questions is AI. Steve Jobs once said that a computer is a bicycle of the mind. If a computer is a bicycle, then AI is a race car. It’s going to change everything. While this is exciting, the unimaginable possibilities are also frightening. It isn’t hard to imagine how artificial general intelligence could have a destructive outcome, which keeps me up at night.

What’s the best tech-related media you read/watch/listen to?

I get a lot of my tech news from The Information—I think their reporters are outstanding and the quality of their journalism is very strong. It’s worth the price tag!

What’s something about you we can’t guess from your LinkedIn profile?

I started my first company when I was just 15 years old in Germany and grew it to over a million in revenue before moving on. I’ve had the entrepreneurial bug from a very young age.

What do you think about when you’re not thinking about tech?

I’m a huge philosophy enthusiast and am constantly pondering life’s most existential questions. This is why AI is such an interesting topic to me—it ties into a lot of larger philosophical questions from a technological perspective.