The Rise of Live AI: Pathway's Journey to Real-Time Learning

In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, large enterprises are constantly seeking ways to integrate AI into their platforms and processes. One of the most significant challenges they face is the need for generative AI to have memory and continuously updated training data. This necessity has given birth to a new domain known as "Live AI," where startups like Cohere, Writer, and Pathway are making strides.

Pathway, a promising player in the Live AI space, recently secured a $10 million seed round to develop systems that think and learn in real-time, akin to human cognition. The funding round was led by TQ Ventures, with contributions from Kadmos, Innovo, Market One Capital, Id4, and several angel investors. Notably, Lukasz Kaiser, co-author of Transformers and a key researcher behind GPT-3 from OpenAI, is among the investors.

Pathway's innovative approach involves creating "infrastructure components" that power live AI systems. These components can process both structured and unstructured data, enabling enterprise AI platforms to make decisions based on the most current information available. This capability has already attracted notable clients, including NATO and La Poste, the French post office.

Zuzanna Stamirowska, co-founder and CEO of Pathway, explained the limitations of traditional deep learning and large language model (LLM) assistants. She likened them to a smart intern on their first day, equipped with a book but unable to memorize its contents. To address this, Pathway allows developers to build pipelines that feed live data into AI systems during the prompting stage of LLM and generative AI applications.

Stamirowska, who is relocating to Menlo Park, California, has assembled a highly technical team to achieve Pathway's ambitious goals. Her co-founders, CSO Adrian Kosowski and CTO Jan Chorowski, have impressive backgrounds, including collaborations with recent physics Nobel Prize winner Geoff Hinton. Stamirowska herself is recognized for her state-of-the-art forecasting model for maritime trade networks, published by the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.

The inception of Pathway was sparked by a moment of inspiration during a scientific conference in Chicago. Stamirowska recounted how a disagreement led her to start her own venture, fueled by the taste of coffee and the determination to move forward. This anecdote highlights the passion and drive behind Pathway's mission.

In the competitive landscape of generative AI and knowledge management, Pathway stands alongside Cohere and Writer in the latest Gartner Quadrants. For enterprise deals, they often encounter Palantir, although Pathway's product-oriented approach sets them apart. Schuster Tanger, co-managing partner at TQ Ventures, praised Pathway's bleeding-edge insights and the powerful response from the developer community.

Pathway's journey is a testament to the potential of Live AI to revolutionize how enterprises leverage artificial intelligence. By enabling real-time learning and decision-making, Pathway is paving the way for a future where AI systems can truly think and adapt like humans.

Cited: https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/29/as-cohere-and-writer-mine-the-live-ai-arena-pathway-joins-the-pack-with-a-10m-round/