Ex OpenAI CTO Launches Own AI Firm, Poaches Staff From ChatGPT Maker

Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer (CTO) at OpenAI, launched a new artificial intelligence startup on Tuesday, with about 30 top researchers and engineers from competitors, including Meta, Mistral and her last company. Her venture, Thinking Machines Lab, aims to build AI systems that incorporate human values and expand their application beyond current models.

Ms Murati joins a growing list of ex-OpenAI executives who have launched their own AI ventures, including those behind Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence. She has been raising funds from venture capitalists to support the new venture, Reuters reported in October.

Around two-thirds of Thinking Machines Lab's team consists of former OpenAI employees, Reuters reported. Among them is Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who left OpenAI on the same day as Ms Murati in late September and will now serve as the startup's Chief Technology Officer.

Another big name is OpenAI co-founder John Schulman, who joins as Chief Scientist. Mr Schulman left OpenAI for rival Anthropic in August, citing his focus on "AI alignment" - a core priority for Ms Murati's startup, which seeks to make AI systems safer and more reliable.

Thinking Machines Lab positions itself as an AI research and product company dedicated to making AI more understandable, customisable, and widely applicable. It aims to bridge gaps in AI knowledge and usability by developing systems that collaborate with humans and adapt to various industries. The company prioritises open research, sharing its work through papers, blogs, and open-source projects, the website said.

"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 said. Thinking Machines Lab also plans to share code, datasets, and model specifications to encourage external research on AI alignment.

Mira Murati, a key public face of OpenAI alongside CEO Sam Altman, resigned abruptly amid governance changes at the company. Before OpenAI, she worked at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion. She played a major role in developing ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Codex.