LeCun Launches AMI Labs: AI Pioneer’s New Startup Seeks Billions for World Model Tech

Yann LeCun, a Turing Award-winning AI pioneer, has officially launched a new startup. The company is called Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) Labs. LeCun confirmed the news in a post on LinkedIn this week.

He will serve as Executive Chairman but not as CEO. That role goes to Alex LeBrun, the co-founder and former CEO of medical AI company Nabla.

Major Funding and Lofty Valuation Goals at Launch

According to the Financial Times, AMI Labs is seeking major investment immediately. The startup aims to raise around 500 million euros in its first funding round. This would value the new company at an estimated 3 billion euros.

This ambitious move highlights the intense investor appetite for AI ventures led by top scientists. LeCun is a former VP and Chief AI Scientist at Meta and a professor at NYU. His reputation allows him to pursue such a significant valuation from the start.

The fundraising target is notable even in today’s market. For comparison, another high-profile AI scientist, Fei-Fei Li, raised $230 million for her startup World Labs in 2024. AMI’s reported goal is more than double that figure.

Focus on World Models as an Alternative to LLMs

The startup’s technical focus is on developing “world model” AI. This approach is seen by some as a next step beyond today’s large language models (LLMs). World models aim to understand environments to predict outcomes and simulate scenarios.

Proponents believe this architecture could solve the hallucination problems common in LLMs. Major labs like Google DeepMind are also exploring similar technology. AMI Labs enters a competitive but potentially revolutionary field.

Nabla, the company where new CEO Alex LeBrun was previously in charge, has signed a partnership to use AMI’s models. LeBrun will remain chairman of Nabla while leading the new venture. According to Reuters, Nabla stated it is now searching for a new permanent CEO.

Yann LeCun’s new startup represents a major bet on a fundamental shift in AI architecture. With top talent and aggressive funding goals, AMI Labs is poised to be a significant player in the race toward more reliable and capable artificial intelligence.

Info at your fingertips

What is AMI Labs building?

AMI Labs is developing “world model” artificial intelligence. This type of AI tries to understand how the world works to simulate cause and effect. It is seen as an alternative to current large language models.

Who is running the new company?

Yann LeCun is the founder and Executive Chairman. The day-to-day CEO is Alex LeBrun, who previously led the medical AI transcription company Nabla. LeBrun has a long background in natural language and AI.

How much money is the startup seeking?

Reports indicate AMI Labs wants to raise approximately 500 million euros. This initial funding round would value the company at about 3 billion euros, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.

What is a world model in AI?

A world model is an AI system designed to build an internal understanding of an environment. It uses this understanding to predict future states and outcomes, aiming for more reliable reasoning than statistical LLMs.

Will Yann LeCun leave his academic post?

There is no indication LeCun is leaving his position at New York University. He is listed as the startup’s Executive Chairman, a role that often involves strategic guidance rather than daily operations.