Augmented Intelligence, a new AI startup, has emerged from stealth with $44 million in funding and a bold claim that its AI platform, Apollo, can outperform traditional chatbots by combining symbolic AI and neural networks. While neural networks excel at language generation, symbolic AI uses task-specific rules to solve complex problems. Apollo, the company says, uses both approaches to power more efficient and “agentic” chatbots capable of not just answering questions but performing tasks like booking flights.

CEO Ohad Elhelo argues that most AI models, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, struggle when they need to take actions or rely on external tools. In contrast, Apollo integrates seamlessly with a company’s systems and APIs, eliminating the need for extensive setup. Unlike many competitors, it doesn’t require training on a company’s private data, appealing to businesses concerned about data security. Augmented Intelligence also touts its explainability, offering logs that help companies understand and improve the AI’s performance.

The company has already secured a partnership with Google Cloud and claims its technology outperforms purely neural network-based models. While some of CEO Elhelo’s claims, such as eliminating AI ‘hallucinations’ remain unproven, Augmented Intelligence’s novel approach and recent $350 million valuation highlight growing interest in AI solutions that blend symbolic reasoning with neural processing.