Mira Murati starts new AI venture
Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer (CTO) at OpenAI, has launched a new artificial intelligence startup, Thinking Machines Lab. The company aims to build AI systems that incorporate human values and expand their application beyond current models.
The startup has attracted around 30 top researchers and engineers from competitors, including Meta, Mistral, and OpenAI. Murati joins a growing list of former OpenAI executives who have started their own AI ventures, such as those behind Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence.
Key hires from OpenAI
Approximately two-thirds of Thinking Machines Lab’s team consists of former OpenAI employees, according to Reuters. Among them is Barret Zoph, a leading researcher who resigned from OpenAI on the same day as Murati in late September. He will serve as the startup’s chief technology officer.
Another notable addition is OpenAI co-founder John Schulman, who has joined as chief scientist. Schulman previously left OpenAI for rival Anthropic, citing his focus on “AI alignment”—a priority for Murati’s new startup, which aims to make AI systems safer and more reliable.
Vision for AI development
Thinking Machines Lab positions itself as an AI research and product company dedicated to making AI more understandable, customizable, and widely applicable. The company plans to bridge gaps in AI knowledge and usability by developing systems that collaborate with humans and adapt to various industries.
The startup also prioritizes open research, sharing its work through papers, blogs, and open-source projects. “While current systems excel at programming and mathematics, we’re building AI that can adapt to the full spectrum of human expertise and enable a broader range of applications,” the company stated.
Additionally, Thinking Machines Lab intends to share code, datasets, and model specifications to encourage external research on AI alignment.
Murati’s impact
Mira Murati was a key public figure at OpenAI, working alongside CEO Sam Altman. She played a major role in developing ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Codex. Before her tenure at OpenAI, she worked at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion.
Her sudden resignation came amid governance changes at OpenAI, leading her to pursue her own vision for AI development with Thinking Machines Lab.
