Ilya Sutskever launches AI startup Safe Superintelligence

Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder of OpenAI who departed the company last month, has announced the formation of a new artificial intelligence startup named Safe Superintelligence (SSI).

In a statement on the social media platform X, Sutskever outlined SSI’s mission to develop AI with a singular focus on safety and capabilities.

“We will pursue safe superintelligence in a straight shot, with one focus, one goal, and one product,” Sutskever stated. Unlike other AI firms like OpenAI or Google, SSI aims to advance AI systems while ensuring safety without external commercial pressures.

Sutskever says that SSI’s business model is designed to insulate the company from short-term commercial influences, allowing them to “scale in peace.” This new venture follows Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI after disagreements over the company’s core priorities and a brief but intense internal conflict regarding AI safety management.

Joining Sutskever at SSI are Daniel Gross, former head of Apple’s AI and search efforts, and Daniel Levy, a former colleague at OpenAI. The startup is establishing offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Sutskever and Gross plan to make SSI a pioneering force in AI, balancing rapid technological progress with stringent safety measures to address growing concerns over the responsible development and deployment of superintelligent AI systems.