After OpenAI, Ilya Sutskever launches new company to pursue ‘Safe Superintelligence’

Famed researcher Ilya Sutskever, who co-founded artificial intelligence leader OpenAI, has announced a new project after parting ways with Sam Altman-led U.S.-based AI company. Sutskever has co-founded a new company along with two co-founders -- Daniel Gross, an investor and former AI chief at Apple, and Daniel Levy, an AI engineer who was his colleague at OpenAI.

Sutskever says his new company 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."

Named as 'Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI)', Sutskever's new AI company is not following the traditional route of pursuing artificial general intelligence(AGI). Rather, as Sutskever says, his SSI lab will only one goal and one product: “a safe superintelligence”.

"SSI is our mission, our name, and our entire product roadmap, because it is our sole focus. Our team, investors, and business model are all aligned to achieve SSI," he writes, along with Daniel Gross, Daniel Levy, on the website of his new company.

"It is a great pleasure and honor to cofound this new endeavor with @ilyasut and @daniellevy__," Gross wrote on X. Levy also took to X to share the news, saying he was "beyond excited" to be starting the company. "I can't imagine working on anything else at this point in human history. If you feel the same and want to work in a small, cracked, high-trust team that will produce miracles, please reach out."

The website says the company will approach "safety and capabilities in tandem, as technical problems to be solved through revolutionary engineering and scientific breakthroughs". SSI has also promised to advance capabilities as fast as possible while making sure "safety" always remains ahead.

“This way, we can scale in peace,” write the three AI researchers. "Our singular focus means no distraction by management overhead or product cycles, and our business model means safety, security, and progress are all insulated from short-term commercial pressures."

As per the website, SSI is an American company, with offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, where they have deep roots and also the ability to recruit top technical talent. The company is currently inviting researchers from all over the world to work towards solving the most important technical challenge.

"We are assembling a lean, cracked team of the world’s best engineers and researchers dedicated to focusing on SSI and nothing else. If that’s you, we offer an opportunity to do your life’s work and help solve the most important technical challenge of our age."

Notably, Sutskever reportedly had played a role in the ouster of its OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, though he denied such claims. Amid the controversy, the company's senior leadership including Sutskever had helped bring back Altman. Various companies, mostly in the Silicon Valley in the U.S., are persuing AGI through various initiatives. Major players in the field include Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, among others.