Meta Snags AI Expert Andrew Tulloch from Thinking Machines Lab

Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Andrew Tulloch heads to Meta | TechCrunch

Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has lost one of its co-founders to Meta. The Wall Street Journal reports that AI researcher Andrew Tulloch announced his departure to employees in a message on Friday. A Thinking Machine Labs spokesperson confirmed Tulloch's departure to the WSJ, saying he "has decided to pursue a different path for personal reasons." Back in August, the WSJ reported that Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive AI recruiting blitz included an offer to acquire Thinking Machines Lab -- and when that failed, Zuckerberg reportedly tried to lure Tulloch with a compensation package that could have been worth up to $1.5 billion over at least six years. (At the time, a Meta spokesperson said that the WSJ's description of the offer was "inaccurate and ridiculous.") Tulloch previously worked at OpenAI and Facebook's AI Research Group.

AI Expert Andrew Tulloch Joins Meta to Lead New AI Development Efforts

Meta has hired Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines Lab. He will lead Meta's new AI projects. This is a big step for the tech giant to grow its AI team while staying ahead of others in the competition. Tulloch is a well-known AI researcher. He worked earlier at Meta's AI team and at OpenAI. In 2025, he co-founded Thinking Machines Lab with Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI. The startup makes that are safe, helpful, and easy for people to use. Thinking Machines Lab grew quickly. It raised $2 billion in funding and became valued at $12 billion. The company hired many smart AI experts, including people from . Tulloch helped build the team and its technology. A spokesperson from Thinking Machines Lab said Tulloch left the startup for personal reasons. Meta had made him a big offer, showing how competitive top AI jobs are.