OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever has raised USD 1 billion in funding for his new artificial intelligence venture, Safe Superintelligence (SSI). Based in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel, the company will look to develop AI with a strong focus on safety.
Investors in the venture include prominent firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel, as well as NFDG, a partnership co-run by SSI executive Daniel Gross.
Sutskever, who left OpenAI in May 2024, co-founded SSI with Gross, a former leader in Apple’s AI and search efforts, and Daniel Levy, another ex-OpenAI employee.
In a post announcing the new venture, Sutskever stated that SSI’s primary mission is to focus on developing safe superintelligence, free from the distractions of management overhead or product cycles. He emphasized that the company is structured to operate without the short-term commercial pressures that often burden tech startups.
Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI followed a turbulent period at the organization. In November 2023, he played a role in the controversial removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, a decision that triggered significant internal dissent. While OpenAI’s board cited concerns about Altman’s transparency, Sutskever was reportedly focused on ensuring AI safety—a priority that may have conflicted with Altman’s push for rapid technological progress.
The situation escalated when nearly all OpenAI employees threatened to resign, leading to Altman’s prompt reinstatement. Altman later publicly apologized, expressing regret for his part in the episode and his desire for the company to unify once more.
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