Sutskever is now co-leading a team at OpenAI focused on addressing the threat of "superintelligent" AI going rogue. Meanwhile, Musk, who left OpenAI's board in 2018, has started his own AI startup, xAI, and has again poached AI experts from Google and OpenAI. The competition for AI talent has intensified, with even non-AI firms offering up to $300,000 for candidates with AI skills.
Key takeaways:
- In 2015, Elon Musk and Sam Altman convinced Google scientist Ilya Sutskever to join them in cofounding OpenAI with a $1.9 million salary and starting bonus.
- The move caused a rift between Musk and Google's then-CEO Larry Page, who felt 'betrayed' by Musk's poaching of talent.
- Musk left OpenAI's board in 2018 and has since criticized the company for being 'obviously for-profit' and 'closed-source'.
- Musk started his own AI startup, xAI, in July and again poached AI experts from Google and OpenAI. Seven of the 12 employees at the new company previously worked at the two tech giants.