SUPERINTELLIGENCE
Ilya Sutskever just took the wheel
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever is now CEO of Safe Superintelligence (SSI), the AI startup he co-launched in 2024.
Daniel Gross, who previously held the role, officially left on 29 June.
Fellow co-founder Daniel Levy has stepped into the role of president.
Gross’s exit follows reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was trying to bring him, and longtime collaborator Nat Friedman, over to Meta.
At one stage, Zuckerberg was even looking to buy SSI outright.
Sutskever responded to the rumours, saying they were flattered by the interest but are staying focused on their mission.
That mission is crystal clear: Safe Superintelligence is building exactly what the name suggests, and nothing else.
No product spin-offs, no distractions.
Sutskever launched the company after his departure from OpenAI, where he played a role in the brief removal of Sam Altman.
Meanwhile, Meta is moving in a different direction.
A few things to know:
Gross’ departure comes as Meta builds out its own AI lab
SSI is staying laser-focused on one thing: safe superintelligence
Sutskever now takes on the full CEO remit, beyond just tech leadership
It’s setting up its own superintelligence unit, aimed at powering a wide range of products, including AI wearables.
Meta’s building wearables, we guess
If Gross does join Meta, he’d likely take on a more product-led role, similar to his past work at Apple.
As for Sutskever, taking on the CEO title means more than just leading the tech side; he’ll now be responsible for bringing in new investment and top-tier talent, all while pushing forward on SSI’s single goal.
The AI scene right now is a blend of corporate espionage and Silicon Valley soap opera. I’m here for it.