Thinking Machines Lab: A New Venture by Mira Murati

Thinking Machines Lab has been launched by Mira Murati, previously the Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI. This new artificial intelligence startup commenced operations on Tuesday and has already succeeded in attracting elite talent from prominent AI companies such as OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral, with a robust team comprising approximately 30 researchers and engineers.

The company has articulated its mission through a blog post, stating that Thinking Machines Lab is focused on creating AI systems that embed human values while expanding their potential applications beyond the current capabilities of existing AI models.

Mira Murati’s Strategic Recruitment

This initiative by Murati signifies yet another significant exit from OpenAI, further showcasing her expertise in attracting top-tier talent. Reports from Reuters reveal that nearly two-thirds of the workforce at the startup consists of former OpenAI personnel, including Barret Zoph, a leading AI researcher. Zoph resigned from OpenAI on the same day as Murati in September and has now assumed the role of Chief Technology Officer at Thinking Machines Lab.

John Schulman’s Role at Thinking Machines Lab

Adding further weight to the team’s credentials is John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder, who has been appointed as Chief Scientist at Thinking Machines Lab. Schulman transitioned from OpenAI to Anthropic in August to concentrate on AI alignment, which involves ensuring that AI models follow ethical and human-focused principles.

Differentiating Through Co-Design and AI Alignment

In light of the growing number of AI startups, Thinking Machines Lab seeks to set itself apart by emphasising collaboration between research and product teams. The startup has also committed to advancing AI alignment research, pledging to share code, datasets, and model specifications with the community.

The company expressed in its announcement, “While current systems excel at programming and mathematics, we’re developing AI that can adapt to the full spectrum of human expertise and facilitate a wider array of applications.”

Seeking Venture Capital Funding

According to earlier reports from Reuters, the startup is currently in pursuit of venture capital funding to support its ambitious goals.

A Trend of Notable Departures from OpenAI

Murati’s departure from OpenAI adds to a pattern of several high-profile exits in recent times, which have been connected to significant structural and governance shifts within OpenAI. Other former leaders from OpenAI, including individuals responsible for founding Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence, have initiated their own AI enterprises, attracting billions in funding.

Prior to her tenure at OpenAI beginning in 2018, Murati gained experience at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion. She played a pivotal role in the creation of ChatGPT and often represented OpenAI in public forums alongside CEO Sam Altman.