What happens when AI starts building itself?
techcrunch.com May 15, 2026

What happens when AI starts building itself?

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Richard Socher, a prominent AI researcher, has joined forces with a cohort of experts to launch Recursive Superintelligence, a San Francisco-based startup with $650 million in funding. The startup aims to create a recursively self-improving AI model that can autonomously identify its weaknesses and redesign itself without human involvement. This goal is a long-held holy grail in AI research, and Recursive Superintelligence is taking a unique approach by using open-endedness to achieve recursive self-improvement.

💡 Why It Matters

  • · The pursuit of recursive self-improvement in AI has significant implications for the future of artificial intelligence, potentially leading to exponential growth in intelligence and capabilities.
  • · If successful, Recursive Superintelligence's approach could revolutionize AI development, enabling machines to adapt and improve at an unprecedented rate, with far-reaching consequences for various fields, including research, innovation, and potentially even human society.