Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, has officially unveiled her new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab. The company, which emerged from stealth mode today, aims to develop advanced AI tools that are customizable, collaborative, and widely accessible. Murati, who played a key role in OpenAI’s success with projects like ChatGPT, DALL-E, and Codex, now takes on the role of CEO, joined by OpenAI co-founder John Schulman as Chief Scientist and former OpenAI Chief Research Officer Barret Zoph as CTO.
Thinking Machines Lab is focused on addressing what Murati calls the “key gaps” in AI development. According to the company’s blog post, the scientific community’s understanding of frontier AI systems has not kept pace with technological advancements, and AI customization remains a challenge for users. The startup plans to build multimodal AI models that work collaboratively with humans, catering to diverse expertise levels while enabling breakthroughs in fields like science and programming.
AI safety will also be a priority for Thinking Machines Lab. The company is committed to preventing misuse of its models, sharing best practices with the industry, and supporting research on AI alignment by making datasets, model specifications, and code more accessible. Murati emphasized that true AI progress will come not just from optimizing current models but from rethinking objectives to ensure meaningful real-world impact.
Murati’s move comes amid a wave of former OpenAI executives launching their own AI ventures, including Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence and Anthropic. Reports suggest she has been actively hiring top AI talent from OpenAI, Character AI, and Google DeepMind, with the startup already listing 29 employees. While speculation has circulated about Murati securing over $100 million in funding from venture capital firms, the company has yet to confirm any financial backing.
With her experience at OpenAI, Tesla, and Leap Motion, Murati is poised to make a significant impact on the AI industry once again. As Thinking Machines Lab continues to expand its team and refine its vision, the startup’s approach to AI development could set new standards for innovation, transparency, and safety in artificial intelligence.