Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, has launched her own AI startup and has already recruited top researchers from ChatGPT-maker, Meta Platforms, Inc. META, and Mistral AI, a Paris-based startup.
What Happened: On Tuesday, Murati unveiled Thinking Machines Lab, an AI company focused on developing artificial intelligence systems that incorporate human values.
"Instead of focusing solely on making fully autonomous AI systems, we are excited to build multimodal systems that work with people collaboratively," the startup stated in a blog post.
Thinking Machines Lab has already assembled a 30-person team, with nearly two-thirds comprising former OpenAI employees, noted Reuters.
Among them is Barret Zoph, who left OpenAI the same day as Murati in late September and will serve as chief technology officer. OpenAI co-founder John Schulman, who previously joined Anthropic, has also signed on as chief scientist.
More OpenAI employees are likely to Murati's new venture, the report noted, citing sources. Thinking Machines Lab has also been in discussions to secure venture capital funding.
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Why It Matters: The launch of Thinking Machines Lab by Murati is part of a broader trend of former OpenAI executives venturing into the AI startup space.
Ilya Sutskever, a former OpenAI leader, exemplifies this trend with his AI startup, Safe Superintelligence, currently raising over $1 billion, pushing its valuation past $30 billion.
Last year, Stanislas Polu, another former OpenAI researcher, secured $16 million for his AI startup, Dust, which focuses on customized AI solutions for businesses.
In January 2025, it was reported that Anthropic, founded by ex-OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, is reportedly seeking $2 billion in funding, which could push its valuation to $60 billion.
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