Former chief technology officer (CTO) at OpenAI, Mira Murati, has recently unveiled her new artificial intelligence startup, Thinking Machines Lab. The venture, which launched with a team of approximately 30 top researchers and engineers from competitors such as Meta and Mistral, aims to develop AI systems that not only incorporate human values but also expand their applications beyond current models.
Joining the ranks of other ex-OpenAI executives who have launched their own AI ventures, Murati has been actively raising funds from venture capitalists to support Thinking Machines Lab. The startup has already attracted a significant number of former OpenAI employees, with two-thirds of its team hailing from the renowned AI research organization.
One notable addition to the team is Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who previously worked at OpenAI and will now serve as the startup’s Chief Technology Officer. Additionally, OpenAI co-founder John Schulman has joined Thinking Machines Lab as Chief Scientist, bringing his expertise in AI alignment to the company.
Thinking Machines Lab positions itself as an AI research and product company focused on enhancing the understandability, customizability, and applicability of AI systems. The company aims to bridge gaps in AI knowledge and usability by developing systems that can collaborate with humans and adapt to various industries. Emphasizing open research, Thinking Machines Lab plans to share its work through papers, blogs, and open-source projects.
The company’s mission is to build AI systems that can adapt to the full spectrum of human expertise, enabling a wider range of applications beyond traditional programming and mathematics. Thinking Machines Lab also plans to share code, datasets, and model specifications to encourage external research on AI alignment.
Prior to her role at OpenAI, Mira Murati held positions at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion. She played a significant role in the development of ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Codex. Her abrupt resignation from OpenAI amid governance changes led to the establishment of Thinking Machines Lab, where she continues to drive innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.
