News

Ilya Sutskever to Lead Safe Superintelligence After CEO Exit

Cansin Cengiz

03 Jul 2025 — 2 min read

In a significant leadership shift, Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI, has announced he is stepping into the CEO role at Safe Superintelligence (SSI), the AI startup he launched in 2024. This transition follows the departure of Daniel Gross, SSI's co-founder and CEO, as of June 29. Daniel Levy, another co-founder, will now serve as president.

Strategic Leadership Amidst Industry Buzz

Sutskever's ascension comes amidst swirling rumors that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in advanced talks to acquire SSI, a company recently valued at $32 billion, and to hire Gross along with his long-time investing partner, Nat Friedman. Addressing these speculations, Sutskever stated on X:

"You might have heard rumors of companies looking to acquire us. We are flattered by their attention but are focused on seeing our work through. We have the compute, we have the team, and we know what to do. Together we will keep building safe superintelligence."Ilya Sutskever on X

This confident declaration aims to reassure investors and talent regarding SSI's continued trajectory, especially following Gross's unexpected exit.

Safe Superintelligence's Unique Mission

Safe Superintelligence positions itself as the world's "first straight-shot SSI lab," emphasizing its singular focus on developing safe superintelligence without diversions into other products or ambitions. This dedicated approach contrasts with Meta's broader AI strategy, where Gross, who previously led AI teams at Apple, might find a more familiar role developing technology for a wide array of Meta products.

Sutskever founded SSI shortly after his departure from OpenAI, where he played a pivotal role in the brief ousting of CEO Sam Altman. His focus at SSI remains firmly on technical oversight, as he noted he will continue to lead the technical team.

The Road Ahead for SSI

Gross's departure, especially if he moves to Meta, could raise questions about SSI's path forward, given its ambitious goal of groundbreaking technology. While Sutskever has extensive experience in high-ranking technical positions, the CEO role brings new challenges, including fundraising and talent acquisition. Despite these hurdles, Sutskever's steadfast vision for safe superintelligence remains the guiding principle for the company.

Safe Superintelligence's journey will be closely watched as it navigates this leadership transition and continues its pursuit of a singular, critical objective in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

References:

DuckDuckGo Adds Option to Hide AI-Generated Images in Search Results

DuckDuckGo Introduces AI Image Filtering for Search Results DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine, has unveiled a new feature allowing users to filter out AI-generated images from their search results. This update addresses user concerns about the increasing presence of AI-created visuals, which can sometimes make it harder to find authentic,

The $2B Seed Round: Thinking Machines Lab and the New AI Startup Boom

The $2B Seed Round: Thinking Machines Lab and the New AI Startup Boom The world of artificial intelligence startups is experiencing a seismic shift, as Mira Murati—OpenAI’s former CTO—has just closed one of the largest seed rounds in history. Her new venture, Thinking Machines Lab, raised a

Meta Declines to Sign EU’s Voluntary AI Code Ahead of New Regulations

Meta Declines to Sign EU’s Voluntary AI Code Ahead of New Regulations In a significant move just weeks before new European Union AI regulations take effect, Meta has publicly refused to sign the EU’s voluntary Code of Practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models. This decision highlights ongoing tensions

Netflix Accelerates Production with Generative AI in Original Content

Netflix Embraces Generative AI to Streamline Show and Film Production Netflix has officially begun integrating generative AI (GenAI) into the production of its original films and series, marking a pivotal shift in how the streaming giant creates content. This innovative approach not only speeds up the production process but also