AI Startups With No Revenue Are Using This Tactic To Supersize Their Valuations

Forbes Daily Briefing

Forbes

Business, Tech News, News

4.4 • 18 Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2026

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Earlier this year, David Silver, the renowned former scientist at Google DeepMind, dialed into a Zoom meeting with a venture capital firm to pitch his new startup Ineffable Intelligence. Silver, who spent over a decade at Google, believed the current approach to training AI models wouldn’t work long term. He spoke for 30 minutes about creating digital environments where AI systems could learn on their own, without any human data or input. Eventually, he told the investors on the call, AI will get so good that it will learn to use things in the physical world. “We can put AI in our toasters,” an investor recalls him saying. That seemed like a stretch. “I was so excited for that pitch and it was just so absurd,” the investor says. “He just rambled, no deck, no memo.” By the end of the pitch, the VC wasn’t convinced. “We left that pitch with more questions than answers. And it's so jarring to hear that from somebody with such merit and stature in the industry,” they say. ByRashi Shrivastava, Forbes Staff Iain Martin, Forbes Staff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Attention all passengers.
0:04.2	The Uber ride for Mark and Jamal's romantic weekend
0:07.3	will depart in four minutes from Platform 6.
0:10.5	Your ride comes with a rolling countryside sunset view
0:13.7	and a table seat ideal for playing footsie beneath.
0:17.9	Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
0:21.6	Trains on Uber.
0:24.2	Head to the beach in Abercrombie's latest summer drop.
0:28.1	New 100% linen shirts are perfect for breezy days by the coast.
0:32.9	They're easy to layer and go well with our new seafade shorts.
0:37.1	For days spent on the water, pair the
0:38.9	A&F Resort shirt with your favorite swim. Outfit your summer with Abercrombie in the app,
0:44.8	online, and in stores.
0:52.8	Today on Forbes, AI startups with no revenue are using this tactic to supersize their
0:59.9	valuations.
1:02.1	Earlier this year, David Silver, the renowned former scientist at Google DeepMind, dialed into
1:08.2	a Zoom meeting with a venture capital firm to pitch his new startup,
1:12.2	ineffable intelligence. Silver, who spent over a decade at Google, believed the current approach
1:18.5	to training AI models wouldn't work long term. He spoke for 30 minutes about creating digital
1:24.2	environments where AI systems could learn on their own without any human data or input.
1:29.3	Eventually, he told the investors on the call,
1:32.3	AI will get so good that it will learn to use things in the physical world.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 8 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Forbes, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Forbes and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.