• Thinking Machines Lab has recruited about 30 top researchers and engineers from OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.
  • John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder, has joined as the startup’s chief scientist after previously moving to Anthropic.

Mira Murati, former chief technology officer at OpenAI, has launched a new artificial intelligence startup called Thinking Machines Lab.

The company, which made its debut on Tuesday, has already attracted about 30 top researchers and engineers from AI competitors including OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.

The startup aims to build AI systems that encode human values and expand applications beyond those of its rivals, according to a company blog post.

Murati’s ability to recruit top talent, especially from her former employer, highlights her influence in the AI space.

Around two-thirds of Thinking Machines Lab’s team consists of former OpenAI employees, including prominent researcher Barret Zoph, who resigned from OpenAI on the same day as Murati in late September. Zoph will serve as the startup’s chief technology officer.

John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder, has also joined the venture as chief scientist. Schulman previously moved to AI competitor Anthropic in August, citing a desire to focus on AI alignment—the process of ensuring AI models align with human values to enhance safety and reliability. Murati’s startup has placed AI alignment at the core of its mission.

Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that more OpenAI employees are expected to join Thinking Machines Lab.

The company is also in discussions to secure venture capital funding. Murati joins a growing list of former OpenAI executives launching AI ventures, with notable predecessors including Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence, both of which have secured billions in funding.

Thinking Machines Lab differentiates itself through a co-design approach between its research and product teams.

The company has pledged to contribute to AI alignment research by sharing code, datasets, and model specifications.

Murati, who joined OpenAI in 2018, played a key role in the development of ChatGPT and was often seen alongside CEO Sam Altman as a public face of the company.

Her abrupt departure was part of a wave of high-profile exits amid structural changes at OpenAI. Before OpenAI, Murati worked at Tesla and augmented reality startup Leap Motion.

Edited By Annette George