The artificial intelligence industry is undergoing a restructuring as Thinking Machines Lab, a new AI research company led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has officially launched and continues to build its team.
The startup has already recruited over 20 former OpenAI researchers and engineers, a hiring wave that highlights a broader shift in AI leadership. The company’s launch follows a series of high-profile departures from OpenAI, including Murati herself, who left the company in September 2024.
Murati’s company is focused on proprietary AI models that prioritize adaptability, human-AI collaboration, and enhanced transparency. The startup is currently raising $100 million to support its research efforts, positioning itself as an alternative to OpenAI’s more commercially driven model development.
The company has already attracted prominent AI researchers, including OpenAI co-founder John Schulman, who has joined as Chief Scientist, and Barret Zoph, formerly OpenAI’s Chief Research Officer, now serving as CTO.
Today, we are excited to announce Thinking Machines Lab (https://t.co/gD5QlPMfWw), an artificial intelligence research and product company. We are scientists, engineers, and builders behind some of the most widely used AI products and libraries, including ChatGPT,…
— Thinking Machines (@thinkymachines) February 18, 2025
Building AI That Works Alongside Humans
Thinking Machines Lab is setting itself apart by emphasizing AI systems designed for scientific and engineering applications rather than mass-market consumer tools. The company states that its goal is to create AI that enhances human expertise instead of replacing it.
In the launch announcement, the company explained, “We are building models at the frontier of capabilities in domains like science and programming. Ultimately, the most advanced models will enable novel scientific discoveries and engineering breakthroughs. […]We aim to build things correctly for the long haul, to maximize both productivity and security, rather than taking shortcuts.”
One of the startup’s core areas of research is multimodal AI, a field focused on developing models that can process multiple types of data—including text, images, and video—within a single system. This approach aims to create AI that is more contextually aware, making it more useful for specialized industries like medical research, coding, and scientific analysis.
The push for more refined AI models comes amid concerns over the rapid commercialization of AI technology. Murati’s departure from OpenAI coincided with a shift in the company’s strategy toward more aggressive product rollouts, a move that reportedly created internal tension among researchers who favored a more cautious approach.
OpenAI’s Leadership Shifts and the AI Talent War
The migration of AI researchers away from OpenAI reflects an industry-wide trend where top talent is moving toward independent research labs. Along with Murati, OpenAI saw the departure of other key figures, including Ilya Sutskever, who stepped down from OpenAI in late 2024 to launch Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI). Sutskever’s new research lab has already raised $1 billion to focus on AI alignment and safety.
These exits led to a leadership shake-up at OpenAI, with Jakub Pachocki taking over as research head. While OpenAI remains dominant in AI research, the rise of independent labs like Thinking Machines Lab and SSI suggests that AI expertise is no longer concentrated within a few major firms. Instead, AI development is becoming more fragmented, with multiple approaches emerging that challenge OpenAI’s model of commercial-scale AI production.
