Canadian computer scientist and OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever has announced a new artificial intelligence (A.I.) start-up company called “Safe Superintelligence” or “SSI” for short.
On social media, Sutskever wrote: “We will pursue safe superintelligence in a straight shot, with one focus, one goal, and one product.”
Sutskever was previously OpenAI’s chief scientist and co-led the company’s Superalignment team before leaving the company in May of this year along with several other executives.
OpenAI’s Superalignment team focused on controlling A.I. systems but was dissolved after Sutskever departed the company.
Originally from Israel, Sutskever immigrated to Canada at age 15 and is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he studied under Geoffrey Hinton, known as the “godfather of A.I.”
Sutskever said he plans to continue focusing on A.I. safety at his new start-up company.
“Our business model means safety, security, and progress are all insulated from short-term commercial pressures,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Sutskever is starting SSI with Daniel Gross, who previously oversaw Apple’s (AAPL) A.I. efforts, and Daniel Levy, another former OpenAI executive.
SSI will initially have offices in Palo Alto, California and Tel Aviv, Israel, said Sutskever.
Sutskever was one of several OpenAI board members who tried unsuccessfully to oust chief executive officer (CEO) Sam Altman last year.
Altman and Sutskever disagreed on the direction of OpenAI and the safety needed for the technology as it advances.
Originally started as a non-profit organization, Altman has recently said that OpenAI’s business model could be converted to a for-profit structure.
There are also rumors that privately held OpenAI might eventually go public and its shares trade on a stock exchange.
