AI co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist of OpenAIStartupsSafe SuperintelligenceSSI) has raised $1 billion in cash to help develop safe AI systems that far exceed human capabilities.
SSI, which currently has 10 employees, plans to use the funding to acquire computing power and hire top talent. SSI will focus on building a small, highly credible team of researchers and engineers in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel.
SSI declined to disclose its valuation, but people familiar with the matter estimate it to be around $5 billion. Previously, interest in funding these AI startups has waned because they may not be profitable for a long time. But the SSI deal shows that some investors are still willing to make big bets on outstanding talents focusing on basic AI research.
Investors participating in SSI's current round of financing include top venture capital firms Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global and SV Angel. In addition, NFDG, an investment firm run by former Github CEO Nat Friedman and SSI CEO Daniel Gross, also participated in the investment.
In an interview, Gross said that they hope to find investors who understand and support the company's mission. Their goal is to focus on the research and development of safe super intelligence rather than rushing to bring products to market. Despite the current complex regulatory situation in the field of AI safety, SSI still firmly believes that it is necessary to prevent the harm that AI may cause.
Sutskever mentioned that he chose to start SSI because he saw a different direction from his previous work. He was in charge of a team called "Super Alignment" at OpenAI, which aims to ensure that AI's behavior is consistent with human values. Although his experience at OpenAI has given him a wealth of experience in the industry, he hopes to advance technology in a different way at SSI.
In terms of team culture, SSI places great emphasis on recruiting candidates with "good character". They value candidates' potential and passion for the job more than their qualifications alone. Sutskever and the team are looking for people who can bring innovative thinking to make breakthroughs in this fast-growing industry.
SSI's goal is not only to develop advanced AI technologies, but also to ensure that these technologies can safely serve humans in the future and avoid potential risks.