Ilya Sutskever, co-founder of OpenAI, recently spoke at the University of Toronto about how artificial intelligence is set to change nearly every aspect of our lives. His honorary doctorate address was both clear and engaging, emphasising that we truly are living in the most remarkable period yet.
He explained that AI is already starting to disrupt the way we learn and work. Instead of getting caught up in complex technical details, Ilya offered a simple analogy: our brains work like biological computers—so why can’t digital computers eventually do the same things? His insight suggests that AI could one day match human learning in almost every area.
In his talk, he described the current state of AI as both impressive and limited, framing it as a spark for future possibilities. Ilya is confident that superintelligent AI will emerge soon, although whether that happens in a few years or a decade is still up for debate. His point was clear: AI isn’t just enhancing some of our capabilities—it’s poised to take on all the tasks we perform.
Looking ahead, he raised important questions about how rapid progress in AI may accelerate research and drive economic growth, all while automating aspects of our everyday work. He made it clear that resisting this change isn’t really an option—our lives are bound to be shaped by these developments.
The conversation took an intriguing turn when Ilya recounted his recent move after internal disagreements at OpenAI. In May 2024, he left the organisation and launched Safe Superintelligence (SSI) to focus on building secure superintelligent systems. Although SSI is keeping its projects under wraps, Ilya hinted that traditional AI scaling has reached a plateau, prompting a search for new methods. Even without a ready-to-use product, his new venture has already been valued at over $30 billion.
