Ilya Sutskever

Profile

Ilya Sutskever co-founded OpenAI and served as Chief Scientist, making pivotal contributions to GPT models and RLHF training. Known for the dramatic November 2023 board crisis that nearly destroyed OpenAI when he briefly supported firing Sam Altman before reversing.

Left OpenAI in May 2024 to found Safe Superintelligence Inc (SSI) with a singular focus on building safe superintelligence. One of the deepest AI researchers alive, his departure from OpenAI was seen as a major signal about internal tensions around AI safety.

Key Information

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What Operators Need to Know

Understanding Ilya Sutskever's work is essential for operators building with AI. Their contributions at Safe Superintelligence Inc (SSI) directly shape the tools, models, and capabilities available to builders in the AI economy. Follow their work closely — announcements from Ilya Sutskever and Safe Superintelligence Inc (SSI) frequently signal major shifts in AI capabilities and market direction that affect every operator's technology stack.

Last updated: 2026-02-12 • Browse all founders