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Supercharged Valuation: The $5 Billion Bet on Safe Superintelligence

Supercharged Valuation: Safe Superintelligence Secures $5 Billion Funding

Safe Superintelligence Secures $1 billion funding, valuing the company at $5 billion. Ilya Sutskever’s AI venture promises groundbreaking innovation.
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On September 5th, a groundbreaking event in the AI sector unfolded as Safe Superintelligence Secures (SSI), the new venture by Ilya Sutskever, secured $1 billion in funding. Remarkably, this funding round valued SSI at a staggering $5 billion, translating to an impressive $500 million per team member—despite the company’s minimal 10-person staff and non-existent product line.

The extraordinary valuation comes amid a backdrop of a tumultuous period for Sutskever’s former employer, OpenAI. Last November, OpenAI’s board abruptly dismissed CEO Sam Altman, leading to a high-profile shake-up within the organization. The drama saw key figures like Greg Brockman and Jakub Pachocki resigning, raising concerns about the future of the world’s highest-valued AI company.

Despite the upheaval, Altman returned to OpenAI, which continues to lead in large language model advancements, recently launching Sora—a video generation product—and reaching a valuation of $100 billion. However, the internal divisions between Altman’s engineering-focused camp and Sutskever’s technical faction were evident, culminating in Sutskever’s departure in May.

Sutskever’s new venture, SSI, aims to develop “safe superintelligence” and has quickly garnered attention from leading investors. The funding round included prominent venture capitalists like A16z, Sequoia Capital, DST, and SV Angel, alongside angel investor Daniel Gross, who previously led AI projects at Apple and Y Combinator.

SSI’s ambitious mission is to accelerate the development of AI systems that surpass human capabilities while ensuring safety. The funding will primarily support the acquisition of computational resources and the recruitment of top talent globally. SSI’s approach emphasizes balancing safety with performance, positioning itself as a revolutionary force in the field.

Despite this impressive start, SSI’s journey will be gradual. The company operates with only two offices—one in California and another in Tel Aviv—and a mere ten employees. Recruitment has been cautious, focusing on candidates with a strong commitment to SSI’s vision rather than those seeking quick publicity.

Sutskever’s venture reflects a blend of idealism and practical ambition. His previous role at OpenAI’s Superalignment team, which was eventually dissolved due to its theoretical nature, underscores the challenges of translating advanced AI research into commercial success. Nonetheless, SSI’s rapid funding and high valuation signal a bold bet on Sutskever’s vision.

The investment in SSI can be seen as a strategic move to back a distinguished talent in AI, with a willingness to accept significant risks for potential long-term rewards. The venture capital community’s willingness to support such a high-risk, high-reward project highlights the ongoing fascination with AI’s transformative potential.

In summary, SSI’s record-breaking valuation and swift funding underscore the high stakes and intense interest surrounding the future of AI. As the company navigates its ambitious goals, it remains to be seen how it will balance revolutionary research with practical applications and market readiness.

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