In a major boost for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry, Ilya Sutskever, former Chief Scientist and co-founder of OpenAI, has raised an impressive $1 billion for his new startup, Safe Superintelligence (SS1).
The funding round included Investors from top venture capital firms which are; Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel. NFDG, an investment partnership run by Nat Friedman and SSI’s Chief Executive Daniel Gross, also participated.
According to Reuters, the startup will use the funds to invest in computing resources to develop its models as well as attract the highly skilled talent required to build the business and give it a competitive edge in the AI industry.
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Announcing the fundraise, the startup wrote on X,
“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”
In a response to the post, CEO Ilya Sutskever responded with the statement, “Mountain Identified. Time to Climb”.
SSI is reportedly building cutting-edge Al models aimed at challenging the already established AI firms among which include Sutskever’s former employer OpenAl, Elon Musk’s AI, and Anthropic. This comes as competition in the Al sector is intensifying with firms constantly upgrading their models while others launch new products to stay ahead and gain competitive advantage.
According to Reuters, all these other businesses are focusing on developing Al models with wide consumer and business applications, but SSI wants to build “a straight shot to safe superintelligence.” SSI chief executive Gross revealed this will also be supported by research and development.
In his words,
“It’s important for us to be surrounded by investors who understand, respect, and support our mission, which is to make a straight shot to safe superintelligence and in particular to spend a couple of years doing R&D on our product before bringing it to market.”
SSl’s core mission is to address several ethical challenges by focusing on the safe and responsible development of superintelligent Al. The startup aims to build Al systems that not only possess advanced capabilities but are also controllable, transparent, and aligned with human goals. This approach involves integrating cutting-edge research in machine learning, ethics, and Al alignment.
The CEO Ilya Sutskever, brings unparalleled expertise to SSl. As a co-founder and Chief Scientist at OpenAl, Sutskever played a pivotal role in advancing Al research, contributing to breakthroughs in neural networks, deep learning, and large-scale models like GPT-3 and GPT-4. His work has shaped the trajectory of Al’s development globally, and his new venture, SSl, represents a natural progression in addressing the next frontier-superintelligence.
Sutskever’s vision for SSl is to foster collaboration across the Al community, industry, and academia to ensure that superintelligent Al systems are developed in a way that benefits society while minimizing risks. SSI is expected to bring together a team of Al researchers, ethicists, and engineers to focus on both technical and philosophical aspects of Al safety.
One of SSl’s key areas of focus is Al alignment the process of ensuring that At systems’ objectives align with human intentions and ethical values. This is particularly critical in the development of superintelligent systems, which could potentially make autonomous decisions on a global scale. SSI aims to pioneer solutions that guarantee Al systems behave predictably and in accordance with human safety standards, even as they become more capable. SSI is also expected to explore techniques such as reinforcement learning, interpretability of AI models, and robustness to create systems that can self-improve without deviating from desired behaviors.
With $1 billion in funding, Safe Superintelligence is well-positioned to become a leading force in the next generation of Al development. The startup’s focus on safe, ethical Al is a direct response to growing concerns about the potential dangers of superintelligence. By prioritizing safety from the outset, SSI aims to ensure that superintelligent Al serves the broader interests of humanity, rather than posing a threat.
The startup’s success will likely have a far-reaching impact, not only in the tech industry but also in how Al is integrated into society. With Sutskever at the helm, SSl represents a bold step toward the future, where superintelligence is both powerful and aligned with the values and safety of its creators.