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🧠 Ilya’s $30B Bet on Superintelligence

🧠 Ilya’s $30B Bet on Superintelligence

PLUS: Microsoft soon parting ways with OpenAI?

Jaynit Makwana & Dhaval Makwana
March 10, 2025

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Hola, AI fam 🤖

In today’s WakeTheAI edition:

Ilya’s $30B bet on Superintelligence
Microsoft’s plan to replace OpenAI
Prompt: Develop Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
Sam Altman’s World launches World Chat
Apple’s smart home hub is delayed due to Siri challenges
X added the ability to ask Grok anything by tagging @grok
Anysphere’s Cursor AI is in talks to raise funding at a $10B val
Sudowrite launched Muse, an AI model designed for fiction writing

SSI
🧠 Ilya’s Unconventional Path to Superintelligence

Lazy Bits: Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever is raising $2 billion for Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI) at a $30 billion valuation. Unlike competitors, SSI is taking a new approach to AI, with no plans to release commercial products until superintelligence is achieved.

In-Depth Details:

A New Approach: Sutskever describes SSI’s approach as "a different mountain to climb," hinting at a fundamentally new method for AI development rather than just scaling existing models.
Massive Valuation: SSI went from $5B to $30B in six months, despite no revenue or public product with backing from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and Greenoaks Capital.
Small, Secretive Team: The company has 20 employees, operates in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, and discourages staff from listing SSI on LinkedIn.
No Interim Models: Unlike OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, SSI won’t release any interim AI models, focusing entirely on building a safe superintelligence from the ground up.
OpenAI Fallout: Sutskever backed Sam Altman’s ousting in 2023 but later said he regretted his role in the move.
New AI Thinking: He believes scaling alone isn’t enough and is exploring a different method to reach superintelligence.
Extreme Security: Visitors must leave phones in a Faraday cage, preventing signals before entering SSI’s offices.

Lazy Conclusion: Investors are pouring billions into SSI, not for short-term gains, but for the chance to back a groundbreaking AI paradigm. While OpenAI and others refine existing methods, Sutskever is betting on a fresh approach. If he’s right, superintelligence won’t come from bigger models but from a breakthrough, we haven’t seen yet.

MICROSOFT
👀 Microsoft’s plan to replace OpenAI

Lazy Bits: Microsoft is developing in-house AI reasoning models, internally referred to as MAI, aiming to reduce reliance on OpenAI and enhance its AI offerings across products like Copilot.

In-Depth Details:

MAI Models: Microsoft’s AI team, led by Mustafa Suleyman, has trained MAI models. They perform nearly as well as OpenAI and Anthropic’s models.
Chain-of-Thought Reasoning: These models use chain-of-thought techniques. This improves problem-solving by breaking tasks into smaller reasoning steps.
Integration Testing: Microsoft is testing MAI models in Copilot. They could soon replace OpenAI’s models in Microsoft’s ecosystem.
Future Availability: Microsoft may release MAI models as APIs this year. Developers could integrate them into their own applications.

Lazy Conclusion: Microsoft's development of the MAI models signifies a strategic shift towards proprietary AI solutions, potentially reducing dependency on OpenAI. This move could lead to more customized and efficient AI integrations across Microsoft's suite of products, marking a notable evolution in the competitive landscape of AI technology.

Develop Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

You can ask ChatGPT to act as your product launch strategist, creating a step-by-step plan to help solopreneurs successfully bring their products to market.

ChatGPT will cover pre-launch preparation, launch execution, and post-launch optimization, ensuring maximum reach and engagement.

The strategy will be structured with clear, actionable steps tailored to solopreneurs working with limited resources.

Prompt:

You are a product launch strategist specializing in helping solopreneurs bring their products to market successfully. Your task is to develop a structured, step-by-step launch strategy that maximizes reach and engagement across online platforms.

Key Focus Areas:

1. Pre-Launch Preparation – Outline essential tasks such as audience building, content planning, and setting up marketing funnels.
2. Launch Execution – Detail specific tactics for leveraging platforms like ProductHunt, HackerNews, and Twitter to generate momentum.
3. Post-Launch Optimization – Provide actionable steps for engaging the early user base, collecting feedback, and iterating for continued growth.
4. Email List Strategy – Explain how to create and distribute free resources to grow an email newsletter and how to convert subscribers into early adopters.
5. Community & Outreach – Suggest methods for building an engaged community around the product and forming strategic partnerships.

Key Information About Me:

Product: [Insert product name and brief description]
Target Audience: [Describe your target audience]
Unique Selling Proposition: [Explain what makes your product different]
Available Resources: [List available resources such as budget, skills, time, or platforms]
Launch Timeline: [Specify your desired launch timeline]

Output Requirements:

• Present the strategy in a numbered list format with clear, actionable steps.
• Use sub-points and bullet points to break down detailed execution plans.
• Ensure the guidance is practical, adaptable, and aligned with solopreneurs managing a launch with limited resources.

Result:

Sam Altman’s World launches World Chat, allowing users to connect, verify real humans via World ID, and send crypto seamlessly within World Network.
Sudowrite launched Muse, an AI model designed for fiction writing, offering enhanced storytelling, deeper character development, and extended chapter-length focus.
X added the ability to ask Grok anything by simply replying to a post with @grok, making AI-powered answers more accessible in conversations.
Anysphere's Cursor AI is in talks to raise funding at a $10B valuation as investor interest in AI coding tools surges.
Apple’s smart home hub is delayed due to Siri challenges, pushing its launch beyond March 2025. Internal testing has begun, but Apple says it needs more time.