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Home/Founder Stories/AGI Research/Ilya Sutskever
VERIFIED PROFILE•2026-05-01
AGI ResearchVERIFIED FOUNDER

Ilya Sutskever

Co-Founder & Chief Scientist of Safe Superintelligence (SSI)

"Ilya Sutskever left OpenAI to start SSI with a single goal: build safe artificial superintelligence without quarterly product pressures."

By UpForge Editorial•Palo Alto, United States•Published 2026-05-01•Valuation: $5B
Ilya Sutskever, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist of Safe Superintelligence (SSI) — UpForge Verified Founder

Ilya Sutskever

Co-Founder & Chief Scientist • Safe Superintelligence (SSI)

The Mind Behind Deep Learning

Ilya Sutskever co-created AlexNet in 2012 alongside Geoffrey Hinton, igniting the modern AI era. As Chief Scientist of OpenAI, he spearheaded the breakthroughs behind GPT-2, GPT-3, GPT-4, and DALL-E, cementing his status as one of the most influential computer scientists in history.

The OpenAI Departure & SSI Vision

Following the turbulent boardroom events at OpenAI, Sutskever departed in 2024 to co-found Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI) alongside Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy. SSI operates with a singular focus: achieving superintelligence safely without commercial product management or ad models.

The $1B Pure Science Bet

In 2026, SSI raised $1 billion at a $5B valuation from premier investors. Free from commercial deadlines, Sutskever leads an elite group of researchers dedicated solely to solving the technical alignment problem of AGI.

“
"Superintelligence is within reach. Building it safely without commercial distractions is the single most important task of our generation."

— Ilya Sutskever, Safe Superintelligence (SSI)

FOUNDER LESSON & TAKEAWAY

Singular focus on your ultimate scientific goal is far more valuable than building dozens of consumer features.

Ilya Sutskever, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist of Safe Superintelligence (SSI) — UpForge Verified Founder
AGI Research

Ilya Sutskever

Co-Founder & Chief Scientist • Safe Superintelligence (SSI)

VERIFICATION VERIFIED
UFRN CodeUF-2026-US-XXXXX
CompanySafe Superintelligence (SSI)
Founded2024
Valuation$5B
Total Funding$1B

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