Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, has announced the launch of his new company, Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI). “I am starting a new company,” he posted on X.
The company, headquartered in Palo Alto with offices in Tel Aviv, is led by Sutskever, entrepreneur and investor Daniel Gross, and former OpenAI employee Daniel Levy. Gross previously co-founded the AI startup Cue, which Apple acquired in 2013 for $40-60 million.
SSI has established the world’s first lab dedicated solely to developing safe superintelligence. The company’s mission is clear: to build a safe superintelligence.
“We will pursue safe superintelligence in a straight shot, with one focus, one goal, and one product. We will do it through revolutionary breakthroughs produced by a small cracked team,” said Sutskevar.
The company emphasises that safety and capabilities will be addressed simultaneously as technical problems requiring revolutionary engineering and scientific breakthroughs. SSI aims to advance capabilities rapidly while ensuring that safety remains paramount.
With a business model insulated from short-term commercial pressures, SSI is designed to maintain focus on safety, security, and progress, allowing for efficient scaling without distractions from management overhead or product cycles.
SSI is currently recruiting top engineers and researchers to join their lean team dedicated to this singular mission. The company’s commitment to SSI aligns all aspects of their operations, from team composition to investor relations.
Safe Superintelligence Inc. invites those interested in addressing what they deem the most important technical challenge of our time to join their efforts.
Sutskever left OpenAI last month, where he was succeeded by Jakub Pachocki. Last year, reports surfaced that Sutskever was concerned about AGI safety and the rapid pace at which OpenAI was advancing, leading to tensions with OpenAI chief Sam Altman.
On November 17, 2023, Sutskever and other board members fired Altman. However, by November 21, 2023, the board’s decision was reversed, and Altman was reinstated as CEO. Sutskever publicly expressed regret for his role in the coup, stating that he never intended to harm OpenAI and deeply regretted his participation in the board’s actions.