Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder and former chief scientist at OpenAI, has raised $1 billion for his new venture, Safe Superintelligence (SSI).
The funding round included investments from prominent backers such as Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, SV Angel, and NFDG, a venture fund led by Nat Friedman and SSI’s CEO, Daniel Gross. With this capital, SSI aims to focus on advancing AI safety and development in tandem.
Advertisement
Balancing AI Innovation and Safety
SSI is designed to address both the capabilities and safety of AI through groundbreaking technological advancements. The startup’s mission is to scale AI development rapidly while ensuring that safety remains a top priority, free from short-term commercial pressures. According to SSI, this unique focus allows the company to concentrate on its core goals without being sidetracked by management overhead or product cycles.
Growing Investor Confidence in AI Startups
The $1 billion funding brings SSI’s valuation to $5 billion, despite the company having no product on the market yet. The investment reflects growing confidence in the potential of AI startups to shape the future of technology. Notably, NFDG and other investors involved in the round have previously backed AI startups like Perplexity, Magic, and Character.ai.
A New Chapter After OpenAI
Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI follows a reported fallout with the company’s leadership over AI safety measures. This move mirrors similar exits by other AI experts, such as those who founded Anthropic and Covariant, to launch their own ventures. With SSI, Sutskever is now joining a growing list of high-profile founders aiming to redefine the future of AI development.
