Safe Superintelligence, a new AI company based in Silicon Valley and Israel, has secured over $1 billion in its initial funding round. The company, officially launched in June, was co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, alongside Daniel Levy and Daniel Gross, an ex-AI chief at Apple.
This significant funding highlights the strong reputation of the founding team, which received backing from prominent venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global, Sequoia Capital, and SV Angel. Gross and Nat Friedman's NFDG partnership also participated.
One noteworthy aspect of the investment is that it comes entirely in cash rather than cloud credits. This is especially important since AI companies require vast computing resources. Much of this funding will likely go toward acquiring the necessary computational power.
Safe Superintelligence describes its singular mission as developing safe superintelligent systems (SSI). They emphasize a streamlined approach, focusing on one goal without distractions from management or commercial pressures. This mission contrasts with OpenAI's broader range of projects and signals a divergence in priorities from Sutskever's former company.
The startup's launch also follows a turbulent period for Sutskever. He was one of the OpenAI board members who voted to oust CEO Sam Altman in 2023, a decision he later regretted. After months of uncertainty, Sutskever officially departed from OpenAI earlier this year.
Despite the massive funding, developing superintelligence may be a long and costly journey. If the startup doesn’t generate revenue soon, it could need further financial support to sustain its ambitious goals.
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