Enlarge / Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI Chief Scientist, speaks at Tel Aviv University on June 5, 2023. (credit: JACK GUEZ via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that Safe Superintelligence (SSI), a new AI startup cofounded by OpenAI’s former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has raised $1 billion in funding. The 3-month-old company plans to focus on developing what it calls “safe” AI systems that surpass human capabilities.
The fundraising effort shows that even amid growing skepticism around massive investments in AI tech that so far have failed to be profitable, some backers are still willing to place large bets on high-profile talent in foundational AI research. Venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel participated in the SSI funding round.
SSI aims to use the new funds for computing power and attracting talent. With only 10 employees at the moment, the company intends to build a larger team of researchers across locations in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Reuters reported.
