If you want to do AI research along a line that doesn't seem to currently represent big immediate profits, you aren't going to be competing with SV firms anyway

If you want to do AI research along a line that doesn't seem to currently represent big immediate profits, you aren't going to be competing with SV firms anyway. You still have to get grants and all for that area, and then "profit motive" of one form or another might sneak back in, but that would be true even without SV firms as well.