Mira Murati's New AI Venture Attracts Top Talent, Including Former OpenAI Executive

Mira Murati's New AI Venture Takes Shape

Former OpenAI executive Mira Murati is making waves in the artificial intelligence industry with her new startup focused on artificial general intelligence (AGI). The venture, still in its early stages and unnamed, has already attracted top talent from leading AI companies 1

1

Key Hire: Jonathan Lachman

In a significant move, Jonathan Lachman, the former head of special projects at OpenAI, has joined Murati's new research lab. This marks the most high-profile hire for the startup since Murati's departure from OpenAI in September 2023 2

2

Building an AI Dream Team

Murati has successfully recruited approximately 10 researchers and engineers from competitors including OpenAI, Character AI, and Google DeepMind. This talent acquisition strategy demonstrates the startup's ambition and potential in the AI field 1

1

2

Startup in Early Stages

Despite the high-profile hires, the startup remains in its infancy. It currently lacks a name and a definitive product direction, according to sources familiar with the company 1

1

2

Murati's OpenAI Departure

Murati left OpenAI less than a year after the tumultuous events of late 2023, which saw CEO Sam Altman briefly dismissed by the board. During this period, Murati, then Chief Technology Officer, was appointed interim CEO. Altman later described this as "the low point" of the leadership crisis 2

2

Related Stories

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Raises Over $100 Million for New AI Startup

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Launches AI Startup Thinking Machines Lab

OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati Announces Departure

Mira Murati's Thinking Machine Labs Seeks $1B Funding at $9B Valuation

Funding Aspirations

Approximately one month after her departure from OpenAI, Reuters reported that Murati was seeking to raise over $100 million for her new venture. However, this figure had not been finalized at the time of reporting 1

1

Industry Context: AI Startup Landscape

Murati's venture joins a growing trend of high-profile AI startups founded by former OpenAI executives. Notable examples include:

1. Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence, which raised $1 billion within three months of its founding 1

   1

   2

   2

   .
2. Anthropic, a major OpenAI competitor, which has secured billions in funding, including $8 billion from Amazon 1

   1

   2

   2

   .

OpenAI's Talent Exodus

Murati's departure was part of a series of high-profile exits from OpenAI, including:

• Barret Zoph, Vice President of Research
• Bob McGrew, Chief Research Officer
• Ilya Sutskever, Co-founder and Chief Scientist 1

  1

  2

  2

This talent migration highlights the dynamic and competitive nature of the AI industry, with experienced professionals seeking new challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.