Yann LeCun Raises $1 Billion to Build AI That Understands the Physical World

"The idea that you're going to extend the capabilities of LLMs [large language models] to the point that they're going to have human-level intelligence is complete nonsense. Most human reasoning is grounded in the physical world, not language, and AI world models are necessary to develop true human-level intelligence."

"AMI aims to build a new breed of AI systems that understand the world, have persistent memory, can reason and plan, and are controllable and safe. The startup will operate globally from day one with offices in Paris, Montreal, Singapore, and New York."

Advanced Machine Intelligence, a Paris-based startup cofounded by Meta's former chief AI scientist Yann LeCun, secured over $1 billion in funding at a $3.5 billion valuation. LeCun argues that human-level AI requires world models grounded in physical understanding, not language models alone. He contends that extending large language models cannot achieve true human-level intelligence. The funding was led by investors including Cathay Innovation, Greycroft, Hiro Capital, and Bezos Expeditions, with backing from Mark Cuban, Eric Schmidt, and Xavier Niel. AMI aims to build AI systems with persistent memory, reasoning, planning, and safety controls. Operating globally from offices in Paris, Montreal, Singapore, and New York, the startup represents LeCun's first commercial venture since leaving Meta.

Read at WIRED