Mira Murati’s startup, Thinking Machines Lab, is losing two of its co-founders to OpenAI

Thinking Machines Lab, founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, is experiencing a significant leadership shift as two of its co-founders return to OpenAI. In a recent announcement on social media, Murati confirmed that Barret Zoph, the startup's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, has parted ways with the company. In her post, she expressed enthusiasm for Soumith Chintala stepping into the role of CTO, praising him as a talented and experienced leader with over a decade of contributions to the AI sector. However, Murati's statement did not address the status of co-founder Luke Metz or any other departing members. Shortly after Murati's announcement, OpenAI's CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, welcomed Zoph, Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back to the team, indicating that their return had been planned for several weeks. Metz, who has a history with OpenAI's technical staff, and Schoenholz, who remains listed as part of Thinking Machines on LinkedIn, also bring valuable experience from their previous roles. Zoph, who served as VP of research at OpenAI prior to his time at Thinking Machines, also has a background as a research scientist at Google. Murati, who left OpenAI in September 2024, co-founded Thinking Machines in the wake of her departure, and the startup has since garnered substantial financial backing, including a $2 billion seed round in July, valuing the company at $12 billion. While talent transitions are common in the competitive landscape of Silicon Valley, the simultaneous departure of two co-founders from a startup less than a year after its inception raises eyebrows. This situation could be seen as a notable challenge for Thinking Machines, especially after the company had assembled a promising team comprising former researchers from OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral AI. Additionally, the startup has seen other key departures, including co-founder Andrew Tulloch, who recently joined Meta. The ongoing trend of co-founders moving to rival firms highlights the dynamic nature of the AI industry.