OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever-led Safe Superintelligence raises $1 bn

OpenAI's former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever-led AI startup Safe Superintelligence (SSI) has raised $1 billion in cash to develop safe AI systems at a reported valuation of around $5 billion. Sutskever's new venture is currently working with a "lean" team of 10 employees, but the funding will help it acquire more capabilities in terms of hiring top talent and computing equipment.

The funding round comprised well-known VC companies in Silicon Valley, including Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global and SV Angel. "SSI is building a straight shot to safe superintelligence. We’ve raised $1B from NFDG, a16z, Sequoia, DST Global, and SV Angel. We’re hiring," the company says on X.

Commenting on the development, Sutskever said: "Mountain: identified. Time to climb."

Investor Nat Friedman-led NFDG and SSI's Chief Executive Daniel Gross also participated in the funding round. "If you do something different, then it becomes possible for you to do something special," Friedman said while reacting to the development on X.

Famed researcher Ilya Sutskever, who co-founded artificial intelligence leader OpenAI, announced his new project in June 2024 after parting ways with Sam Altman-led U.S.-based AI company. Sutskever co-founded SSI with two co-founders -- Daniel Gross, who's also the former AI chief at Apple, and Daniel Levy, his former OpenAI colleague. After Sutskever's departure from OpenAI, the company had dismantled its "superintelligent" team, which was responsible for developing AI that remained within human values.

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 have one goal and one product: “a safe superintelligence”. SII aims to 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," the company said earlier.

The U.S.-based SSI has offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv. 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."

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 brought back Altman. Various companies, mostly in the Silicon Valley in the U.S., are pursuing AGI through various initiatives. Major players in the field include Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, among others.