DeepMind’s David Silver just raised $1.1B to build an AI that learns without human data

Ineffable Intelligence Secures Major Funding for New AI Approach

Ineffable Intelligence, a newly established British AI company founded by David Silver, who previously led the reinforcement learning team at DeepMind, has raised an impressive $1.1 billion in a funding round that pushes the firm’s valuation to $5.1 billion. The company was formed just months ago and has quickly joined the ranks of AI ventures aiming to surpass the capabilities of today’s large language models.

Learning Without Human Data

Ineffable Intelligence sets itself apart by focusing on the creation of a "superlearner" AI—an advanced system capable of mastering skills and uncovering knowledge independently, without relying on human-generated data. This innovative pursuit draws on reinforcement learning, where AI systems learn through trial and error, reflecting Silver’s renowned expertise.

David Silver’s Vision

David Silver’s track record includes developing AI systems like AlphaZero, which famously taught itself to excel at chess and Go by playing against itself. At Ineffable Intelligence, Silver envisions an AI that similarly discovers all that it knows from its own experiences. He describes this project as his life’s work, making the case for a breakthrough on par with Darwin's theory of evolution, but for intelligence itself.

Record-Breaking Investment and London’s AI Boom

The latest funding round was led by Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Index Ventures, Google, Nvidia, and British government-backed funds. Ineffable joins a growing list of “pentacorns” (companies valued above $5 billion) in the UK, such as AMI Labs and Recursive Superintelligence, further cementing London’s position as a leading global AI hub. Many of these startups feature DeepMind alumni and reflect the city's expanding ecosystem for machine learning and AI research.

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