Meta Snags AI Talent: Andrew Tulloch Leaves Thinking Machines Lab
8 Sources
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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
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Behind the scenes: Meta still on prowl for AI talent
Tulloch will join Meta's newly formed TBD Labs unit, headed by Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, the source said, although Tulloch's specific focus is not yet clear. * Tulloch, a well-regarded machine learning expert who previously worked at Meta and OpenAI, has most recently been a key figure
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Meta poaches Thinking Labs co-founder Tulloch in ongoing AI drive
Australian AI research star Andrew Tulloch has reportedly departed Mira Murati's Thinking Machines as Meta continues to poach top AI talent. Just days after Mira Murati's Thinking Machines launched its first product Tinker onto the market, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is reporting that Meta has
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Andrew Tulloch leaves Thinking Machines Lab for Meta
Tulloch previously worked at both OpenAI and Facebook's AI Research Group before co-founding Thinking Machines Lab. AI researcher and Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Andrew Tulloch is joining Meta, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tulloch announced his departure from the AI startup, which is
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Zuckerberg snares Australian tech superstar as AI hiring war heats up
Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Mark Zuckerberg has poached Australian artificial intelligence specialist Andrew Tulloch from one of Silicon Valley's hottest start-ups, striking a blow for Meta in its big-money push to hoard the sector's hottest talent. Tulloch
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Mark Zuckerberg drops another $1.5 billion pay package for top AI researcher - who is he and what's his fame?
Mark Zuckerberg has made another bold move in his relentless race to dominate artificial intelligence. Meta has reportedly secured the services of Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of Mira Murati's startup Thinking Machines Lab, with a staggering pay deal that underscores the tech giant's high-stakes push
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Meta Taps Thinking Machines Co-Founder to Boost AI Expertise | PYMNTS.com
Andrew Tulloch, a high-profile AI researcher, confirmed his departure in a message to workers on Friday (Oct. 10), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. "Andrew has decided to pursue a different path for personal reasons," a spokeswoman for Thinking
[8]
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
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Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab, has left the AI startup to join Meta. This move comes after Meta's aggressive AI talent recruitment efforts, highlighting the intense competition for top AI researchers in Silicon Valley.
Meta's AI Talent Acquisition: Andrew Tulloch Joins from Thinking Machines Lab
In a significant move that underscores the intense competition for top AI talent in Silicon Valley, Meta has successfully recruited Andrew Tulloch, co-founder of the highly-valued AI startup Thinking Machines Lab. Tulloch, an Australian AI research star with a prestigious background, announced his departure to employees in a message on Friday, October 10, 2025
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Source: Financial Review
Background and Career Path
Andrew Tulloch's career trajectory reads like a who's who of AI research. Prior to co-founding Thinking Machines Lab, Tulloch had worked at OpenAI and spent 11 years at Meta (then Facebook), specifically in the AI Research Group
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. His departure from Thinking Machines Lab, a startup led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, marks a significant loss for the company, which had just launched its first product, Tinker, onto the market3
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Source: PYMNTS
Meta's Aggressive Recruitment Strategy
Meta's acquisition of Tulloch is part of a larger, aggressive AI recruitment drive led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Earlier reports suggested that Zuckerberg had attempted to acquire Thinking Machines Lab outright, and when that failed, he reportedly offered Tulloch a compensation package potentially worth up to $1.5 billion over at least six years
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. While Meta denied the accuracy of this figure, calling it "inaccurate and ridiculous," the move highlights the company's determination to secure top AI talent2
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Source: TechCrunch
Tulloch's Role at Meta
Tulloch will be joining Meta's newly formed TBD Labs unit, headed by Meta Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang
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. This unit is part of Meta's reorganized AI efforts under its Superintelligence Labs division, which was established over the summer3
. While Tulloch's specific focus at Meta is not yet clear, his expertise in machine learning is expected to play a crucial role in the company's AI initiatives.Related Stories
Impact on Thinking Machines Lab
Tulloch's departure is a significant blow to Thinking Machines Lab, which had been making waves in the AI industry. The startup, valued at $12 billion, had recently secured $2 billion in investment led by A16z (Andreessen Horowitz), with participation from tech giants like Nvidia, AMD, and others
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. Losing a co-founder and key figure like Tulloch could potentially impact the company's future developments and market position.The AI Talent War
This high-profile move is indicative of the ongoing talent war in the AI sector. Meta has been actively poaching senior figures from competitors like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Apple, and Anthropic
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. The competition for top AI researchers and engineers has led to unprecedented compensation packages and aggressive recruitment strategies across the industry.References
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