Former OpenAI CTO Launches Stealth AI Startup, Recruits Top Talent
Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, is making waves in the tech industry with the launch of her new stealth startup, reportedly named Thinking Machine Labs. Murati, who left OpenAI in the fall of 2024, has been actively recruiting top talent from her former employer and other leading AI companies.
Sources close to the matter reveal that Murati began early discussions with venture capitalists shortly after she departed from OpenAI. As of January, she had successfully assembled a team of approximately 10 individuals, drawing from the ranks of OpenAI, Character AI, and Google DeepMind.
Murati’s tenure at OpenAI spanned six and a half years, during which she played a crucial role in the development of ChatGPT. Her brief stint as interim CEO following Sam Altman’s controversial firing in November 2023 further solidified her reputation in the AI community.
The launch of Thinking Machine Labs follows a growing trend of former OpenAI executives venturing into entrepreneurship. Ilya Sutskever, the former chief scientist at OpenAI, recently founded Safe Superintelligence Inc., while Dario and Daniela Amodei established Anthropic in 2021.
Among the key figures joining Murati’s new venture are John Schulman, co-founder of OpenAI and former Anthropic employee, and Jonathan Lachman, who previously headed special projects at OpenAI. Other notable recruits include Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, Mianna Chen, Christian Gibson, and Mario Saltarelli, all of whom bring valuable experience from their time at OpenAI.
The exodus of top talent and ongoing plans to convert OpenAI to a for-profit entity have contributed to a sense of uncertainty surrounding the organization. Neither OpenAI nor Murati’s spokesperson have commented on the situation.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, industry observers will be closely watching Thinking Machine Labs and its potential impact on the field of artificial intelligence.
