Artificial intelligence experts emphasize two key points in public discussions: the current advanced capabilities of AI, and the assurance that it will not turn into a malevolent Skynet like in The Terminator. As a result, governments worldwide are urging companies to commit to safety, transparency, and including a “kill switch” in their technology to prevent rogue behavior.
Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, has launched a new company based on these principles. In a blog post on Wednesday, he introduced Safe Superintelligence, stating that the team, investors, and business model are all focused on creating a safe superintelligence product.
“We tackle safety and capabilities simultaneously as technical challenges to be resolved through innovative engineering and scientific advancements,” he explained, introducing co-founders Daniel Gross, who previously worked at Apple’s AI team, and Daniel Levy, who had experience at OpenAI. “Our goal is to advance capabilities rapidly while ensuring that safety remains a top priority. This approach allows us to scale effectively.”
Sutskever’s announcement had been anticipated since his departure from OpenAI in May. Reports suggest that Sutskever played a significant role in the attempt to remove OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last year, which ultimately failed as Microsoft, a key investor, hired Altman amid threats of resignations from many OpenAI staff.
The future control of this groundbreaking technology rests in the balance as major players like OpenAI, Google, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft continue to develop new AI features and initiatives to compete with each other and emerging startups.
Contrary to other companies, Sutskever revealed that Safe Superintelligence has no immediate plans to sell AI products or services. The focus is solely on developing a safe superintelligence, free from external pressures and competitive demands.
Bloomberg reported that Sutskever did not disclose his company’s financial backers or the amount of funding it has raised.
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