Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is making waves in the A.I. world with his new startup, Safe Superintelligence (SSI). Despite not having a product ready for launch, investors are flocking to the company, injecting a whopping $2 billion in funding and valuing it at an impressive $30 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.
SSI sets itself apart from other A.I. startups by focusing solely on researching and developing advanced A.I. technology with capabilities that surpass human intelligence. This unique approach has caught the attention of investors, who see Sutskever’s reputation as a key selling point for the company.
Sutskever’s journey from Google to OpenAI and now to SSI has been marked by success and controversy. His departure from OpenAI in 2023 to start SSI with Daniel Levy and Daniel Gross raised eyebrows, but investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital have shown confidence in the new venture.
SSI’s mission to create “superintelligence” remains shrouded in secrecy, with little information available about the company’s operations. Candidates interviewing for SSI are required to store their phones in Faraday cages to protect against electromagnetic waves, and employees are cautioned against mentioning the startup on social media.
While the details of SSI’s work are kept under wraps, Sutskever has hinted at the potential of superintelligence to revolutionize the A.I. landscape. With a team of about 20 employees and a focus on innovation, SSI is poised to make a significant impact on the future of artificial intelligence.
