AsianFin -- Safe Superintelligence (SSI), the artificial intelligence startup co-founded by OpenAI’s former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, is in discussions to raise funds at a valuation of at least $20 billion. This proposed valuation would represent a significant increase from its $5 billion valuation in September, signaling strong investor confidence in its mission to develop safe superintelligence that aligns with human interests.

Founded in June, with offices in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, SSI is in the midst of early-stage fundraising, focusing on "scaling in peace" and protecting its long-term research from the pressures of short-term commercialization. The company’s leadership includes prominent figures such as Daniel Gross, former head of AI initiatives at Apple, and Daniel Levy, a former OpenAI researcher. While SSI has not yet generated revenue, its innovative approach has drawn substantial investor interest, especially amidst a broader shift in AI valuations following advances by competitors like DeepSeek.