Key Points:
- ChatGPT co-founder Ilya Sutskever is starting his own AI startup.
- His goal is to develop safe artificial superintelligence.
- Sutskever is recognized as a leading figure in AI development.
One of the founders of OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is venturing into a new AI startup focused on creating safe and highly advanced artificial intelligence. Ilya Sutskever announced this initiative, named Safe Superintelligence, on Wednesday.
Sutskever told Bloomberg Financial: “What’s special about the company is that its first product will be safe superintelligence. There won’t be anything else before that.” He argued that this approach would allow the company to avoid commercial pressures and competition with other AI labs.
Sutskever is well-regarded for his contributions to artificial intelligence development. At Safe Superintelligence, he is joined by two co-founders: Daniel Gross, who previously worked on AI at Apple, and Daniel Levy, who was also at OpenAI alongside Sutskever.
Safety in AI – a long-standing concern
The question of whether AI systems could pose risks to humanity has been a longstanding concern in the industry. Experts have repeatedly warned about potential dangers, leading governments to propose strict regulations and reporting requirements to minimize risks.
Sutskever previously served as OpenAI’s research director. Last year, he was involved in the unexpected removal of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which was later reversed following pressure from employees and major investor Microsoft. Sutskever subsequently kept a low profile and departed from the ChatGPT developer in May.
Vision behind Safe Superintelligence
The new company aims to return to OpenAI’s original roots as a nonprofit research lab. OpenAI later concluded, a few years after its founding, that it couldn’t sustain itself without a commercial product.
This led to a multi-billion-dollar deal with software giant Microsoft and the release of ChatGPT. The funding strategy for Sutskever’s new superintelligence venture remains unclear at this time.
