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On Wed, 19 Mar, 12:03 AM UTC
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OpenAI exec leaves to found materials science startup | TechCrunch
Liam Fedus, OpenAI's VP of research for post-training, is leaving the company to found a materials science AI startup. The Information initially reported Fedus' plans. In a statement on X, Fedus confirmed the report and added a few additional details. "My undergrad was in physics and I'm keen to apply this technology there," Fedus said in the statement. "Because AI for science is one of the most strategically important areas to OpenAI and achieving [artificial superintelligence], OpenAI is planning to invest in and partner with my new company." Fedus' firm will compete with Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and others in the nascent AI materials science space. In 2023, DeepMind claimed that its AI system, Gnome, found crystals that could be used to make new materials. More recently, Microsoft unveiled a pair of materials-discovering AI tools called MatterGen and MatterSim.
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OpenAI's Head of Post-Training Liam Fedus Departs to Build AI for Science Startup
Fedus, who led OpenAI's post-training team, which is responsible for fine-tuning AI models for public release, shared his decision in a message to colleagues, stating he intends to remain involved with OpenAI as a partner while pursuing new opportunities in AI for science. He expressed excitement about applying AI technology to scientific research, citing his academic background in physics. "I've gotten really excited about AI for science. My undergrad was in physics and I'm keen to apply this technology there," he said in his post on X. He also mentioned that OpenAI plans to invest in and partner with his new venture. "Because AI for science is one of the most strategically important areas to OpenAI and achieving ASI, OpenAI is planning to invest in and partner with my new company," he said. Fedus joined OpenAI in 2022 after a career spanning roles at Google Brain and academic research in physics and machine learning. He played a pivotal role in developing ChatGPT and advanced reasoning models like Strawberry. Fedus thanked OpenAI leadership and colleagues for their support during his tenure, stating, "Contributing to the mission of OpenAI and working with world-class teams to create and improve ChatGPT has been an experience of a lifetime." "Thanks to all the leadership who believed in me early on, especially, Sam, Greg, and Mark. Thank you everyone on post-training and to all of our collaborators across research and product." OpenAI has experienced the departure of several notable leaders recently. Among the prominent departures, Ilya Sutskever, the chief scientist and co-founder, resigned in May 2024 after being involved in the failed coup against Altman. He launched his own AI startup called Safe Superintelligence (SSI). Mira Murati, the chief technology officer, left OpenAI in September 2024 after serving over six years at the company and founded her own startup called Thinking Machines Lab last month. Bob McGrew, the chief research officer, and Barret Zoph, vice president of research, also announced their departures shortly after Murati. Alec Radford, a lead author of the original GPT paper, left OpenAI to pursue independent research.
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Another exit at OpenAI: VP of research for post-training leaves to start own AI firm
In a post on X, OpenAI's vice president of research for post-training, said OpenAI is planning to invest and partner in his new venture. These are early days for AI in materials science, and Fedus' venture would be competing with Google DeepMind and Microsoft. Liam Fedus, OpenAI's vice president of research for post-training, is leaving the company. According to a report by The Information, Fedus plans to start a materials science AI startup. He confirmed the news on X, sharing additional details, including his partnership with OpenAI. He wrote, "I've gotten really excited about AI for science. My undergrad was in physics and I'm keen to apply this technology there. Because AI for science is one of the most strategically important areas to OpenAI and achieving ASI, OpenAI is planning to invest in and partner with my new company." The AI materials science field is still in its early stages, and Fedus' company will be competing with major players like Google DeepMind and Microsoft in this space. In January, Microsoft launched two AI tools for discovering materials: MatterGen and MatterSim. MatterGen predicts materials with unique properties based on scientific principles, while MatterSim determines which of MatterGen's materials are stable and viable. In 2023, DeepMind announced that its AI system, Graph Networks for Materials Exploration (Gnome), discovered 2.2 million new crystals, including 380,000 stable materials that could be used to create new materials and "power future technologies."
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Liam Fedus, OpenAI's VP of research for post-training, leaves the company to found a materials science AI startup, with OpenAI planning to invest and partner in the new venture.
Liam Fedus, OpenAI's Vice President of Research for Post-Training, has announced his departure from the company to establish a new startup focused on applying artificial intelligence to materials science 1. This move marks another significant exit from OpenAI, following recent departures of other high-profile executives.
Fedus, who joined OpenAI in 2022 after roles at Google Brain and academic research in physics and machine learning, played a crucial role in developing ChatGPT and advanced reasoning models like Strawberry 2. His decision to leave stems from a desire to return to his roots in physics and apply AI technology to scientific research.
In a statement on X, Fedus explained, "My undergrad was in physics and I'm keen to apply this technology there. Because AI for science is one of the most strategically important areas to OpenAI and achieving [artificial superintelligence], OpenAI is planning to invest in and partner with my new company" 1.
Fedus' new venture will enter the nascent but rapidly growing field of AI-driven materials science. This area has seen significant interest from major tech companies:
Google DeepMind: In 2023, DeepMind's AI system, Graph Networks for Materials Exploration (Gnome), reportedly discovered 2.2 million new crystals, including 380,000 stable materials with potential applications in future technologies 3.
Microsoft: Recently unveiled two AI tools for materials discovery - MatterGen and MatterSim. MatterGen predicts materials with unique properties based on scientific principles, while MatterSim assesses the stability and viability of MatterGen's predictions 3.
Fedus' exit is part of a broader trend of high-profile departures from OpenAI:
The departure of Fedus and the creation of his new startup, backed by OpenAI, highlight the growing importance of AI applications in scientific fields, particularly materials science. This development could potentially accelerate innovations in new materials discovery, impacting various industries from electronics to energy storage and beyond.
Reference
[2]
Analytics India Magazine
|OpenAI's Head of Post-Training Liam Fedus Departs to Build AI for Science Startup
OpenAI experiences a significant brain drain as key technical leaders depart, raising questions about the company's future direction and ability to maintain its competitive edge in AI research and development.
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John Schulman, a co-founder of OpenAI, has left the company to join Anthropic, a rival AI firm. This move marks another significant departure from OpenAI's original founding team, leaving only three of the initial eleven co-founders still with the company.
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Sebastien Bubeck, Microsoft's VP of GenAI research, leaves the company after a decade to join OpenAI, aiming to further his work on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI).
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Mira Murati, a key figure in OpenAI's leadership, has announced her departure from the artificial intelligence company. This move comes amidst ongoing changes and developments in the AI industry.
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Mira Murati, ex-CTO of OpenAI, unveils her new AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, aiming to make AI more accessible and customizable while focusing on open science and safety.
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