Jeff Bezos Is Funding a Wild Hunt for the Brain's 'Core Algorithm'
6 hours ago
- #Startup Funding
- #Artificial Intelligence
- #Neuromorphic Computing
- Jeff Bezos invests in AI startup Flourish, which aims to build a synthetic intelligence system matching the human brain's computational capacity and energy efficiency.
- Flourish's cofounders, Thomas Reardon and Rob Williams, argue current AI models are energy-intensive and lack continuous learning, unlike the human brain which operates on about 20 watts.
- The company raised $500 million, including $50 million from Bezos, with a focus on combining neuroscience and AI research to discover new algorithms for intelligent, efficient systems.
- Flourish plans to conduct wet lab experiments, study cortical columns, and develop near-term products, such as a hippocampus-inspired memory model, while exploring brain-scale data collection.
- The startup faces competition in neuromorphic AI but bets on its team of top neuroscientists and AI researchers, including DeepMind alum Greg Wayne, to innovate in a long-term, high-risk endeavor.