Ilya Sutskever, former chief scientist and co-founder of OpenAI, has launched a new AI startup, Safe Superintelligence (SSI), which has raised $1 billion in funding. The company is focused on developing AI systems that surpass human capabilities while ensuring safety. SSI will use the funds to acquire computing power and hire top talent, with operations based in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel. Investors include prominent venture capital firms such as Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, DST Global, and SV Angel, valuing the startup at $5 billion. Sutskever co-founded SSI with Daniel Gross and Daniel Levy, following his departure from OpenAI after a contentious period involving the temporary ousting of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. SSI aims to prioritize AI safety and avoid the commercial pressures that Sutskever believed hindered his previous efforts at OpenAI.