How startup Ndea aims to build self-improving AI systems

François Chollet, creator of Keras, and Mike Knoop, Zapier co-founder, have launched Ndea, a new AI research lab focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) through a combination of deep learning and program synthesis.

The core innovation: Ndea aims to merge intuitive pattern recognition with formal reasoning through “guided program synthesis,” moving beyond traditional deep learning’s limitations.

• The approach combines deep learning’s pattern recognition capabilities with program synthesis, which searches for discrete programs that explain data
• This hybrid method could enable AI systems to generalize and learn from fewer data points than current approaches
• The company derives its name from Greek concepts of intuitive understanding (ennoia) and logical reasoning (dianoia)

Leadership credentials: The founding team brings substantial expertise in AI development and company building.

• Chollet previously worked on core AI research at Google and created the widely-used Keras deep learning framework
• Knoop co-founded Zapier, bringing experience in scaling technology companies and implementing AI solutions
• Both founders are involved with the ARC Prize Foundation, supporting open AGI research

Technical approach: Ndea’s strategy differs significantly from conventional AI development methods.

• Traditional deep learning systems are limited by their dependence on large datasets and struggle to adapt to new tasks
• Program synthesis, while relatively new, is considered by Ndea to be as crucial as deep learning for achieving AGI
• The company aims to develop AI systems that can continuously improve without hitting performance plateaus

Strategic vision: Ndea positions itself as a “factory for rapid scientific advancement.”

• The lab intends to tackle both existing challenges like autonomous vehicles and entirely new scientific frontiers
• Chollet believes their approach could accelerate scientific progress significantly
• The company is building a distributed team focused on program synthesis expertise

Market context: Ndea enters a competitive field of well-funded AGI research efforts.

• The launch follows former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever’s announcement of a $1 billion “Safe Superintelligence” venture
• Ndea’s funding status remains undisclosed
• The company is actively recruiting researchers and engineers globally

Looking ahead: While the success of Ndea’s ambitious goals remains uncertain, their novel technical approach and experienced leadership position them as a noteworthy player in the AGI landscape. The integration of program synthesis with deep learning could potentially overcome current AI limitations, though significant technical challenges remain in achieving truly general artificial intelligence.