Not much is known about SSI's specific methodologies, but Sutskever has previously described their research direction as 'a new mountain to climb'.
Safe Superintelligence (SSI), co-founded by Ilya Sutskever, is currently seeking to raise funding at a valuation of at least $20 billion, significantly up from its previous valuation of $5 billion in September 2024.
Sutskever is highly regarded in the AI community for his contributions to generative AI and his advocacy for scaling, which has attracted significant investments in the sector.
Alongside Sutskever, SSI's founding team includes Daniel Gross, a former Apple AI lead, and Daniel Levy, an ex-OpenAI researcher, both of whom bring extensive experience in AI development.
The startup's fundraising efforts come amid a reevaluation of AI startups' market positions, particularly following the introduction of a low-cost AI solution by Chinese startup DeepSeek.
Discussions with existing and potential investors are in the early stages, and while the exact amount SSI seeks to raise remains unclear, it is expected to be substantial.
Despite market volatility caused by competitors like DeepSeek, major investments in AI infrastructure continue, with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic also pursuing significant funding at high valuations.
Sutskever has identified potential limitations in the scaling approach of AI, particularly concerning data availability for training models.
In its last funding round, SSI successfully raised $1 billion from prominent investors such as Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
The startup's mission is to develop 'safe superintelligence' that not only surpasses human intelligence but also aligns with human interests, although it has yet to generate any revenue.
Founded in June 2024, SSI operates from offices in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel, but has remained secretive about its specific methodologies and research.
SSI emphasizes a long-term vision, aiming to 'scale in peace' without succumbing to the pressures of short-term profitability, which sets it apart from other AI companies like OpenAI.
