Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder and former chief scientist of OpenAI, has announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence company, Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI). The new venture, co-founded with former Apple AI lead Daniel Gross and former OpenAI researcher Daniel Levy, will focus exclusively on developing powerful AI systems safely, shielded from the commercial pressures that dominate the current AI landscape.
In a public announcement, the founders stated that SSI is a mission-driven company with a singular goal: to create a “safe superintelligence.” This objective, they argue, cannot be pursued effectively within organizations that are also focused on developing and shipping commercial products. The company’s business model is designed to insulate its research and engineering efforts from the short-term market demands that drive companies like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. This approach allows the team to prioritize safety above all else, without the distraction of chasing revenue or competing in the product race.
SSI will operate with offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel, positioning itself as a global hub for top AI talent dedicated to safety. The move is highly significant, coming just months after Sutskever’s departure from OpenAI. He was a central figure in the internal turmoil at the company in late 2023, where he reportedly clashed with CEO Sam Altman over the pace of AI development versus the need for robust safety protocols.
The formation of SSI marks a pivotal moment in the AI industry, creating a well-funded, high-profile organization dedicated solely to solving the alignment and safety problems associated with future superintelligent systems. As the rest of the industry accelerates its push for more capable and profitable AI models, SSI represents a focused counter-movement, betting that the most important challenge is not building the most powerful AI, but building it safely.
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