A top Meta AI researcher has joined Mira Murati's hot new startup, Thinking Machines Lab

Soumith Chintala, a prominent figure in the AI landscape and former leader at Meta, is embarking on an exciting new chapter by joining Thinking Machines Lab, a startup founded by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Chintala shared his enthusiasm for the team on his X account, stating, "[T]hinking machines…the people are incredible." This marks his first professional move since parting ways with Meta earlier this month. Chintala is best known for co-creating PyTorch, an influential open-source AI framework that has become a staple in both academic and tech circles. His addition to Thinking Machines Lab is a significant coup for the company, which aims to innovate in the realm of "human-AI collaboration." Launched in February, the startup has been aggressively recruiting top talent, pulling experts from Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic, and various academic institutions. The AI landscape at Meta has seen dramatic changes, with the company restructuring its operations and hiring numerous engineers from competing firms. This realignment has led to the establishment of a new division, Superintelligence Labs, directed by Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI. Notably, Yann LeCun, Meta's chief AI scientist and a pivotal figure in the development of AI infrastructure, is reportedly contemplating his departure from the organization. Thinking Machines Lab has been actively competing for AI talent, attracting notable early hires such as John Schulman, a key contributor to ChatGPT, and other prominent researchers. Reports indicate the company has offered salaries reaching $500,000 for technical positions, with many employees earning substantial compensation packages before bonuses and equity. Earlier this year, Thinking Machines Lab successfully raised an impressive $2 billion in seed funding, achieving a valuation of $10 billion, and is currently in discussions for additional funding that could elevate its valuation to $50 billion, according to Bloomberg. For Chintala, this transition comes shortly after he concluded an 11-year tenure at Meta, where he led the PyTorch initiative for nearly eight years. In a heartfelt farewell message, he reflected on PyTorch's journey, noting its widespread usage across major AI companies and educational institutions. He expressed a desire to embrace new challenges, stating he was ready to venture into something "small… something new… something uncomfortable." While Thinking Machines Lab has yet to unveil its complete range of products, its initial offering, Tinker, is already being utilized by researchers at prestigious institutions such as Princeton and Stanford. The tool simplifies the process of fine-tuning large language models for AI applications. Despite some recent departures, including co-founder Andrew Tulloch returning to Meta, the company continues to push forward in the competitive AI landscape.