Nvidia Backs Safe Superintelligence to Scale AI Computing Power
Safe Superintelligence Inc., founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has secured a $2 billion funding round backed by Nvidia and Alphabet. This deal values the company at approximately $32 billion, a remarkable feat for a firm that didn't exist just over a year ago.
The company's mission is singular: to build safe superintelligence. Unlike other AI research firms with sprawling agendas, SSI focuses on this one goal, operating out of dual offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv. In under 12 months, the company has gone from zero to $32 billion in valuation, with a recent $1 billion funding round pushing its value to $5 billion in September 2024.
Nvidia's investment is strategic, not philanthropic, as it aims to scale SSI's computing power for superintelligence research. The company plans to increase its computing power tenfold, aligning with Nvidia's interest in accelerating demand for next-generation chips. Alphabet's participation, despite operating one of the world's most advanced AI research labs through DeepMind, suggests a willingness to fund potential competitors.
While SSI has no connection to crypto assets or blockchain protocols, its fundraise serves as both validation and challenge for the growing ecosystem of crypto-native AI projects. These tokens promise decentralized alternatives to centralized compute but face limitations in matching the computing power required for superintelligence research.