- After leaving the ChatGPT maker last year, the ex-OpenAI CTO is building a new startup.
- She has recruited talent from OpenAI, as well as other AI startups.
- Murati is among a handful of former OpenAI execs to leave and launch their own companies.
Since leaving OpenAI in the fall of 2024, former executive Mira Murati has wasted no time starting her next venture. Murati, who served as the CTO at OpenAI, is on a mission to create a new AI startup that promises to shake up the industry just as her previous ventures did.
Within a month of her departure, Murati was already deep in discussions with venture capitalists, eager to secure funding for her new company. The tech community has been buzzing with excitement, as many investors clamored to meet the visionary leader whose work has spearheaded advancements in artificial intelligence.
As she lays the groundwork for her startup, Murati isn’t just sitting idly by. Reports indicate she has been actively recruiting top talent from competing firms, as well as her former home at OpenAI. As of January, she had successfully brought on board approximately ten researchers and engineers from renowned companies like Character AI and Google DeepMind, marking a significant step forward in assembling a talented team for her new venture.
While details about her startup remain largely under wraps, whispers in the industry suggest that she plans to name it Thinking Machine Labs. This name reflects a commitment to advancing the field of artificial intelligence and fostering innovative solutions—principles that have guided Murati’s career thus far.
Mira Murati’s connection with OpenAI runs deep. Having spent over six years with the organization, she was instrumental in the development of ChatGPT and various AI research initiatives. Her tenure was not without its challenges; she briefly stepped in as interim CEO in November 2023 following the abrupt firing of Sam Altman, which sent shockwaves throughout the tech community. After Altman was reinstated, Murati resumed her chief technological responsibilities, continuing to influence the company’s direction.
Murati is not the only former OpenAI executive venturing into the startup space. She joins a small yet notable cohort of alumni who have also charted their own paths. For example, former chief scientist and co-founder Ilya Sutskever left OpenAI in May 2024 to establish Safe Superintelligence Inc., while Dario and Daniela Amodei, who were also pivotal figures at OpenAI, went on to found Anthropic in 2021. This wave of departures highlights a significant trend where experienced leaders in AI are mobilizing their expertise to create new companies, sparking further innovation in the field.
The recent exodus of top talent from OpenAI raises questions about the company’s future, especially amid its transition to a for-profit model. As executives like Murati take their knowledge and experience to new endeavors, it adds an air of unpredictability to what was once a tightly-knit organization leading AI research.
Despite her rapid progress, Murati and her team have chosen to remain discreet about their startup’s specific focus and mission, embracing the stealth mode strategy to develop their concepts out of the spotlight. This approach allows for experimentation and creativity without the pressures of public scrutiny.
In summary, Mira Murati’s journey post-OpenAI marks an exciting chapter in the ongoing narrative of AI innovation. Her transition, along with that of other key figures, indicates a dynamic shift within the industry, setting the stage for new initiatives that could redefine the tech landscape.
