Notable Researchers Join $4 Billion Effort to Build Self-Improving A.I.

Early results from Recursive’s automated AI research system on model training and GPU kernel benchmarks

Recursive Superintelligence, founded by former Google, Meta and OpenAI researchers, is part of a growing effort to automate the creation of artificial intelligence.

As AI’s capabilities improve, reports of “rogue” agents and misaligned systems are becoming more frequent. In response, some activists, academics, and politicians have called for a pause in development, warning of the dangers that superintelligent AI could pose. But Richard Socher, the CEO of AI startup Recursive as well as the AI search engine You.com, sees another path. In his new book, "The Eureka Machine," Socher lays out his vision for how self-improving AI could lead to breakthroughs in science, medicine, economics, and more.

Richard Socher has been a major figure in AI for some time, best known for founding the early chatbot startup You.com and, before that, his work on ImageNet. Now he’s joining the current generation of research-focused AI startups with Recursive Superintelligence, a San Francisco-based startup that came out of stealth on Wednesday with $650 million in funding.