Start-up building self-learning AI raises record $1.1B seed
What's the story
Ineffable Intelligence, a start-up founded by David Silver, a former lead researcher at Google's DeepMind, has raised $1.1 billion in seed funding. The round was co-led by US venture capital firms Sequoia and Lightspeed and included participation from NVIDIA, DST Global, Index Ventures (Index), Google and the UK's Sovereign AI Fund, among others. The investment values the company at $5.1 billion.
Superlearner goal
Ineffable Intelligence's mission to redefine AI learning
Ineffable Intelligence seeks to create a "superlearner," an AI model that learns from its own experiences rather than relying on human data. This is different from most leading AI models today, which are trained on internet text. Silver said the company's goal is to "transcend the greatest inventions in human history, such as language, science, mathematics and technology."
AI ambitions
Silver's vision for superintelligence breakthrough
Silver envisions a future where his company will make first contact with superintelligence. He said, "We are creating a superlearner that discovers all knowledge from its own experience, from elementary motor skills through to profound intellectual breakthroughs." This ambitious vision is backed by Silver's experience in developing programs that beat professional players at chess and Go games purely from experience, without human strategies or game records.
Government backing
UK government backs investment in cutting-edge AI company
The UK's Science and Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, expressed her support for the investment in Ineffable Intelligence. She said, "This investment in Ineffable will support a company at the very frontier of AI, with the potential to transform entire sectors." The start-up has already gained pentacorn status—companies valued at over $5 billion. This puts it in the same league as other AI ventures founded by star researchers who have attracted huge seed rounds.