Thinking Machines Lab Co-Founders Depart for OpenAI
▼ Summary
– Mira Murati’s startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is losing two co-founders, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, and another staffer, Sam Schoenholz, who are all returning to OpenAI.
– Barret Zoph, the former CTO, has been replaced by Soumith Chintala, a seasoned AI leader, as announced by CEO Mira Murati.
– OpenAI’s CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, confirmed the return of all three individuals, stating the move had been planned for several weeks.
– Thinking Machines, founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, achieved a $12 billion valuation after a $2 billion seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz last July.
– The simultaneous departure of two co-founders, including the CTO, less than a year after founding is a notable setback for the high-profile startup, which has seen other key personnel leave.
The recent movement of key personnel between OpenAI and the startup Thinking Machines Lab highlights the intense competition for top artificial intelligence talent. In a significant shift, two co-founders of Mira Murati’s company are returning to OpenAI, raising questions about the stability and direction of the high-profile new venture.
On social media, Murati, the CEO of Thinking Machines, confirmed the departure of co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Barret Zoph. She announced that Soumith Chintala, a respected figure in the AI community with over a decade of experience, would assume the CTO role. Murati’s statement praised Chintala’s contributions but offered no details regarding Zoph’s exit or the status of other co-founders.
Less than an hour later, OpenAI’s CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, revealed a broader homecoming. Simo publicly welcomed Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back to OpenAI. This announcement confirmed that a second co-founder, Luke Metz, along with another former OpenAI employee now at Thinking Machines, were also rejoining the company. Reports suggest Zoph’s separation from Thinking Machines was not entirely amicable, a perception underscored by the brevity of Murati’s farewell message.
The departures represent a notable challenge for Thinking Machines Lab. Losing two co-founders simultaneously, including its CTO, less than a year after the company’s founding is a substantial operational and symbolic setback. The startup, which launched with a team of prominent researchers from OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral AI, had secured a massive $2 billion seed funding round last July, achieving a valuation of $12 billion with backing from major investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Nvidia.
This talent shuffle is part of a larger pattern within the AI industry. Thinking Machines had previously seen co-founder Andrew Tulloch leave for Meta in October. Conversely, OpenAI has experienced its own high-profile departures, with co-founders leaving to launch or join competing firms. The flow of expertise between established giants and well-funded startups continues to shape the competitive landscape, as each entity vies for the researchers and engineers capable of driving the next major breakthrough.
(Source: TechCrunch)
