AI’s New Sheriff in Town: Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence Inc. Rattles the Industry
In a bold move that’s sending shockwaves through the AI community, Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist of OpenAI, has launched a new company dedicated to creating a safe and powerful AI system. And by "safe," we mean "not controlled by corporate interests" and "not beholden to short-term profits."
Sutskever’s new venture, Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI), is a startup with a singular focus: to develop a superintelligent AI that’s not only powerful but also safe from the external pressures that have plagued AI research in the past. And by "external pressures," we mean the kind of corporate meddling that prioritizes profits over people.
In a scathing critique of the AI industry, SSI’s announcement describes the external pressure AI teams at companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft often face, saying that these companies are "distracted by management overhead or product cycles." It’s a bold claim, but one that’s hard to deny when you consider the kind of compromises that companies have to make to stay afloat in a cutthroat industry.
SSI’s approach is refreshingly different. By focusing solely on safety and capabilities, the company is able to avoid the distractions that come with trying to appease shareholders or meet quarterly earnings targets. And with a team of experienced AI researchers at the helm, including Daniel Gross, a former AI lead at Apple, and Daniel Levy, a former member of technical staff at OpenAI, SSI is well-equipped to tackle the challenges of creating a safe and powerful AI system.
But don’t expect SSI to partner with the likes of Apple or Microsoft anytime soon. In an interview with Bloomberg, Sutskever made it clear that SSI’s first product will be safe superintelligence, and the company "will not do anything else" until then. It’s a bold move, but one that’s necessary to ensure that AI is developed with safety and humanity in mind.
So, what does this mean for the future of AI? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: SSI’s arrival on the scene is a welcome shake-up to an industry that’s long been plagued by complacency and short-sightedness. It’s time for a new sheriff in town, and SSI is ready to bring some much-needed accountability to the AI industry.
