Yann LeCun, Meta's outgoing chief AI scientist, is in early discussions to secure 500 million euros (about $586 million) for a new startup, which could be valued at around 3 billion euros before it officially launches. Alexandre LeBrun, the founder of French health tech company Nabla, is set to take the helm as CEO. LeCun plans to focus on creating a new generation of superintelligent AI systems, drawing on his extensive experience at Meta, where he significantly advanced the company’s AI initiatives. The startup aims to develop AI systems based on “world models,” which are designed to understand and interact with the physical world. These models could have applications in areas such as robotics and transportation. However, the ambitious funding and high valuation before the startup’s launch have raised concerns about a potential AI bubble, especially as industry leaders express worries that excitement around AI might not align with practical business fundamentals. LeCun is recognized as a leading figure in deep learning, often grouped with Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, with whom he shared the 2018 Turing Award. His departure from Meta marks a significant shift as he embarks on this new venture.