Yann LeCun launches AMI Labs, a new AI startup focused on developing ‘world models’ that understand physics and enable complex planning, following his departure from Meta.

Yann LeCun, renowned AI pioneer and former chief AI scientist at Meta, has launched a new AI startup named Advanced Machine Intelligence Labs (AMI Labs). Based in Paris, AMI Labs aims to develop “world models,” which are AI systems designed to understand fundamental aspects of the physical world, simulate complex environments, and perform advanced planning. This focus contrasts with the dominant large language models (LLMs) that primarily predict text and are the current mainstay in Silicon Valley’s AI efforts. LeCun’s departure from Meta coincides with the company doubling down on LLM-driven AI strategies to compete with OpenAI and Google. In contrast, LeCun envisions his startup pioneering a fundamentally different approach to AI understanding that involves deeper reasoning about physics and long-term environments. AMI Labs is reportedly in the process of raising substantial funding, targeting approximately €500 million to support its mission and innovation goals, which would assign the venture a multibillion-dollar valuation even before a full product launch. The startup has appointed Alex LeBrun, experienced in AI entrepreneurship, as CEO. LeCun has stressed the strategic importance of conducting this research outside the Silicon Valley ecosystem, placing the European tech hub of Paris at the center of next-generation AI innovation. This move signals a marked shift toward building AI systems that more closely mimic human-like understanding and planning capabilities, potentially challenging the prevailing LLM paradigm and influencing future AI market dynamics.