Mira Murati Launches Thinking Machines Lab, Poaches AI Talent from OpenAI and Meta

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati launches Thinking Machines Lab, assembling top AI talent to build more transparent, adaptable, and human-centric AI systems.

Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI, is making waves in the AI world. She has officially launched Thinking Machines Lab, a new AI startup that promises to push the boundaries of artificial intelligence while addressing key gaps in the field.

And she’s not doing it alone.

Murati has assembled a powerhouse team of around 30 AI researchers and engineers, with nearly two-thirds of them coming straight from OpenAI. Some of the most notable names joining her venture include Barret Zoph as Chief Technology Officer and John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder, as Chief Scientist. The startup has also attracted talent from Meta and Mistral, signaling that Thinking Machines Lab isn’t just another AI company—it’s shaping up to be a major player.

What’s the Big Idea?

According to Murati, today’s AI models are advancing at breakneck speed, but there’s a problem: they aren’t fully understood, even by the teams building them.

"While AI capabilities have advanced dramatically, key gaps remain," Murati wrote in a blog post announcing the launch. 

"The scientific community's understanding of frontier AI systems lags behind rapidly advancing capabilities."

Her new company aims to fix that.

Thinking Machines Lab wants to develop more explainable, controllable, and adaptable AI systems. Instead of focusing solely on raw power, Murati is prioritizing AI that humans can better interact with and fine-tune for real-world applications. In an X post, She said:

I started Thinking Machines Lab alongside a remarkable team of scientists, engineers, and builders. We're building three things:
- Helping people adapt AI systems to work for their specific needs
- Developing strong foundations to build more capable AI systems
- Fostering a…

— Mira Murati (@miramurati) February 18, 2025

Transparency is also a major focus—the startup plans to publish technical papers, release research findings, and encourage open collaboration within the AI community.

Is This A Trend Among OpenAI Alumni?

Murati isn’t the only high-profile OpenAI leader to strike out on their own. Just recently, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s former chief scientist, co-founded Safe Superintelligence, an AI lab focusing on highly advanced models with a safety-first approach.

This talent migration hints at deeper shifts within the AI industry. OpenAI, despite being a pioneer in the field, has seen some of its top minds leave to form independent ventures. Whether this is a sign of creative differences, leadership tensions, or simply the desire for fresh innovation remains to be seen.