Cofounder’s Office Relationship Led to Termination at Thinking Machines
▼ Summary
– Leaders at Thinking Machines Lab confronted cofounder Barret Zoph last summer over an alleged relationship with another employee, which was likely the previously reported “misconduct.”
– The employee involved, who held a leadership role in a different department, is no longer at the lab, and the cofounders’ working relationship deteriorated after Murati discussed the matter with Zoph.
– Zoph subsequently spoke with competitors, including Meta, before being hired by OpenAI, whose executive stated she did not share Thinking Machines’ ethical concerns.
– This week, a third cofounder and several other researchers from Thinking Machines also departed for OpenAI, following another cofounder’s move to Meta in October.
– The broader employee exodus is not solely explained by the Zoph tensions, as there were also internal disagreements about the startup’s direction and a reported push to raise capital at a much higher valuation.
Internal tensions at a prominent AI research lab culminated in the departure of a key cofounder, with sources indicating an office relationship was a central factor. Leaders at Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab confronted the startup’s cofounder and former chief technology officer, Barret Zoph, last summer regarding an alleged relationship with another employee. This situation is believed to be the previously referenced “misconduct” that had been reported. The other employee, who held a leadership position in a separate department, is no longer with the company.
Following a discussion initiated by Murati about the relationship, the professional dynamic between the cofounders deteriorated significantly. In the subsequent months, Zoph began exploring opportunities outside the startup, including conversations with leaders at Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. He ultimately accepted a position at OpenAI. OpenAI’s CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, stated the hiring process for Zoph had been underway for weeks and clarified that her organization did not share the ethical concerns raised by Thinking Machines leadership.
The departure of Zoph is part of a wider pattern of exits from the startup. This week, a third cofounder, Luke Metz, along with at least three other researchers, also left to join OpenAI. Another cofounder, Andrew Tulloch, departed for Meta in October. While the conflict between Murati and Zoph reached a tipping point recently, it does not fully account for the broader employee exodus. Previous reporting indicated internal disagreements over the startup’s strategic direction and what products it should prioritize developing.
Amidst this organizational flux, Thinking Machines was reportedly seeking a substantial capital raise in November, aiming for a valuation as high as fifty billion dollars, a sharp increase from its current twelve-billion-dollar valuation. The company declined to comment on the personnel matters.
(Source: Wired)
