Former OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever Launches New AI Startup

Safe Superintelligence aims to be the world’s first “straight-shot” superintelligence lab. Artificial Intelligence CREDIT: JUST_SUPER Ilya Sutskever, the influential former chief scientist of OpenAI, has revealed his highly anticipated new venture—Safe Superintelligence Inc (SSI)—a company focused on developing safe and responsible AI systems.

This announcement follows months of speculation after Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI, where he reportedly had disagreements with leadership, including CEO Sam Altman, over safety concerns.

SSI, as detailed by Sutskever, is committed to creating safe and powerful artificial intelligence. “We approach safety and capabilities in tandem, as technical problems to be solved through revolutionary engineering and scientific breakthroughs,” Sutskever wrote in the announcement. “We plan to advance capabilities as fast as possible while making sure our safety always remains ahead.”

This indicates that SSI aims to prioritize safety while aggressively advancing AI development.

“There is immense potential and the right intentions in SSI’s focused approach,” said Subrat Parida, an AI expert and former CEO of Racetrack AI. “Different nations need to define boundaries and establish compliance through global policies. Currently, unethical AI practices are being used for illegal purposes, making ‘safety’ seem like a mere buzzword. I hope SSI can set meaningful standards.”

Safety Over Commercial Success SSI aims to set itself apart from established AI giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Apple by avoiding the “pressure of management overhead and product cycles.”

“Our business model means safety, security, and progress are all insulated from short-term commercial pressures,” Sutskever said in the announcement. “This way, we can scale in peace.”

This independence, along with a business model designed to prioritize long-term safety, suggests SSI might adopt a more deliberate approach compared to the rapid developments seen in the AI sector.

“SSI’s dedicated focus on safety has the potential to be a transformative force, pushing established AI players to prioritize responsible development alongside achieving ground-breaking results,” said Prabhu Ram, head of the Industry Intelligence Group at CyberMedia Research. “This could lead to a future where advancements in AI are not only impressive but also achieved ethically and with well-defined guardrails in place.”

Sutskever is not alone in his mission. He is joined by Daniel Gross, a former AI lead at Apple, and Daniel Levy, who previously worked with OpenAI, according to SSI.

Currently, the company operates from two offices—in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv—where it claims to have “deep roots and the ability to recruit top technical talent.”

This development follows Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI in May after leading the effort to oust CEO Sam Altman. His exit hinted at new ventures, which have now materialized with the founding of SSI. Sutskever’s departure was soon followed by resignations from other OpenAI researchers, including Jan Leike and Greten Krueger, who cited safety concerns.

Both researchers announced their departure from OpenAI on social media platform X.

Leike, who cited that “safety culture and processes have taken a backseat” at the ChatGPT creator, eventually joined Anthropic last month, stating his new focus will be on “scalable oversight, weak-to-strong generalization, and automated alignment research.”

The newly established SSI is positioned as the world’s first “straight-shot” superintelligence lab, according to the announcement. The company plans to recruit top technical talent to tackle what Sutskever describes as “the most important technical problem of our time.”

“Now is time. Join us,” he urged in the announcement.

With the launch of SSI, the race for safe and powerful artificial intelligence enters a new phase. Sutskever’s experience and the team he has assembled position SSI as a major player in this critical field. Whether they can achieve their ambitious goals remains to be seen, but their focus on safety marks a significant step forward in the responsible development of artificial general intelligence.

“We are still in the early innings of artificial intelligence. We have a long way to go in terms of responsible adoption, establishing safety norms, and building adequate guardrails. In this context, Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence (SSI) has the potential to be a transformative force in the evolving AI landscape,” CyberMedia Research’s Ram said.