Former OpenAI Chief Scientist Sutskever Launches Rival AI Lab
Ilya Sutskever, the OpenAI cofounder and former chief scientist who tried to oust CEO Sam Altman last year, said Wednesday he had launched a new artificial intelligence lab with startup investor Daniel Gross and another former OpenAI researcher, Daniel Levy. The lab, Safe Superintelligence, has offices in Palo Alto, Calif., and Tel Aviv, where Sutskever and Gross grew up, according to its bare-bones website. The co-founders said they hope to develop AI without the distractions of generating revenue in the short run. They did not disclose their investors, though Gross has raised lots of capital to invest in AI ventures and numerous venture investors have privately said they would be more than happy to back Sutskever.
The move means OpenAI will face yet another rival started by alumni. Its primary startup rival, Anthropic, was started by former OpenAI employees, and OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk runs a rival firm, xAI. Superintelligence is a term that refers to software might help humans solve difficult challenges such as curing cancer or colonizing Mars. Sutskever has been concerned about AI that could cause unintended consequences, and at times clashed with Altman and others over their investment in efforts to safeguard the AI they were building, The Information has reported. Sutskever and three other OpenAI board directors ousted Altman on Nov. 17 but an employee revolt about the move prompted them to reverse course.