Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a pioneering venture founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has successfully raised $1 billion. The company aims to develop highly advanced artificial intelligence systems that far exceed human capabilities, according to reports from Reuters.

 

SSI's Vision and Operations

With a current team of just 10 employees, SSI plans to use the new funding to boost its computing power and recruit leading experts in the field. The company will operate from two key locations: Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel.

Although SSI's precise valuation has not been disclosed, insiders suggest it stands at approximately $5 billion. This substantial investment underscores continued investor enthusiasm for groundbreaking AI research, despite a broader decline in funding for ventures that may be unprofitable for some time.

 

Investors and Strategic Partnerships

The funding round attracted major venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel. Additionally, NFDG, an investment firm led by Nat Friedman and SSI’s CEO Daniel Gross, also joined the round.

Gross highlighted the importance of collaborating with investors who align with SSI's mission. The goal is to advance towards safe superintelligence, with a focus on spending several years on research and development before introducing their product to the market.

 

The Importance of AI Safety

AI safety has become a prominent issue due to concerns that advanced AI could potentially act against human interests or even pose existential risks. This has led to legislative efforts, such as a controversial bill in California aiming to enforce safety regulations on AI companies. The bill has generated significant debate within the industry, with some companies like OpenAI and Google opposing it, while others, such as Anthropic and Elon Musk's xAI, support it.

 

Key Figures and Company Structure

Ilya Sutskever, a notable figure in AI, co-founded SSI in June with Daniel Gross, who previously led AI initiatives at Apple, and Daniel Levy, a former OpenAI researcher. Sutskever serves as the chief scientist, Levy as the principal scientist, and Gross handles computing power and fundraising.

Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI last year, following a dramatic boardroom conflict, led to his decision to start SSI. Initially involved in a boardroom dispute that resulted in the ousting of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Sutskever later joined his colleagues in advocating for Altman's return, though this action ultimately diminished his role at OpenAI. SSI is structured as a conventional for-profit entity, contrasting with OpenAI's unconventional structure.

 

Culture and Recruitment at SSI

SSI places a strong emphasis on finding candidates who fit its unique culture. According to Gross, the company spends significant time evaluating potential hires based on their character and passion for the work rather than solely focusing on their credentials or experience.

The company plans to collaborate with cloud providers and chip manufacturers to meet its computing needs but has not yet finalized these partnerships. Many AI startups typically engage with tech giants like Microsoft and Nvidia for their infrastructure needs.

 

Future Directions

Sutskever, known for his advocacy of scaling AI models through extensive computing power, intends to approach scaling differently at SSI compared to his previous work at OpenAI. He believes that innovation requires not just scaling but also rethinking the approach to it.

By focusing on a unique path and embracing a different strategy, SSI aims to make significant advancements in AI safety and capability, moving beyond traditional approaches.