OpenAI Co-Founder Ilya Sutskever Launches Safe Superintelligence Inc. with $2 Billion Backing
Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist of OpenAI, has launched Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI), a new venture dedicated to developing advanced AI technologies with a focus on safety. The company, co-founded with Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy, aims to create AI systems that surpass human intelligence while ensuring their safe deployment.
SSI has rapidly attracted significant investment, securing $2 billion in funding from prominent investors including SV Angel, DST Global, Sequoia Capital, and Andreessen Horowitz. FT said this funding round has valued the company at approximately $32 billion, highlighting the strong investor confidence in SSI's mission and leadership.
Major tech companies Alphabet and Nvidia have also invested in SSI, reflecting the growing interest in AI safety and infrastructure. Reuters reported that Alphabet's cloud division is providing SSI with its proprietary Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), while Nvidia continues to be a dominant player in the AI chip sector.
Darren Mowry, a managing director in charge of Google's partnerships with startups shared with Reuters that:
"With these foundational model builders, the gravity is increasing dramatically over to us,"
SSI operates with a lean team of around 20 employees, focusing exclusively on the development of safe superintelligent AI. The company has established offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel, positioning itself at the forefront of AI research and development.
Sutskever's departure from OpenAI in May 2024 followed internal disagreements over the company's direction, particularly concerning the balance between rapid commercialization and AI safety. With SSI, Sutskever aims to prioritize safety in AI development, addressing concerns that have been central to discussions within the AI community.
The launch of SSI underscores a growing trend among AI leaders to establish ventures that emphasize safety and ethical considerations in AI development. As AI technologies continue to evolve, initiatives like SSI are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence.
