AI safety research company focused exclusively on developing safe artificial superintelligence systems.ssi.inc ↗
2 takes · first discussed Jun 29, 2024
Private company — no public price to score. We track what they said; valuation-mark tracking is on the roadmap.
Chamath argues SSI cannot compete because foundational model costs are heading toward $100B by 2027, and only hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI can fund that arms race — SSI simply won't have the capital.
Sacks is not bullish on SSI because its safety-first mandate is a brake pedal that will slow it down versus competitors like OpenAI and Google, making it structurally unable to win an AGI race.
Both Sacks and Chamath are bearish on Safe Superintelligence Inc. at medium conviction, though their skepticism rests on distinct concerns. Sacks argues that SSI's safety-first mandate functions as a structural brake, slowing the company relative to better-resourced competitors like OpenAI and Google and creating a Darwinian disadvantage in the AGI race. Chamath's critique centers on capital: as foundation model training costs could approach $100B by 2027, only hyperscalers can sustain the arms race, leaving SSI — however well-funded for a startup — unable to compete at the required scale. Together, the hosts paint SSI as disadvantaged on two compounding fronts: strategic focus and financial firepower.
Chamath argues SSI cannot compete because foundational model costs are heading toward $100B by 2027, and only hyperscalers like Google, Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI can fund that arms race — SSI simply won't have the capital.
The problem that that represents for Ilya's company, and I wish him the best of luck, but the reality is there isn't $100 billion for him to have. Google will find it, Microsoft will find it, Facebook will find it.”1:00:11
Sacks is not bullish on SSI because its safety-first mandate is a brake pedal that will slow it down versus competitors like OpenAI and Google, making it structurally unable to win an AGI race.
I'm not bullish about that pitch. Because I think it, it makes the company a little bit schizophrenic. It's working at cross purposes with itself. On the one hand, you're a new company, which means you're behind. You've gotta catch up with”55:54