Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of OpenAI, has launched Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup rapidly assembling a powerhouse team.

According to a company blog post on Tuesday, the startup has already attracted around 30 top-tier researchers and engineers, poaching talent from the likes of OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.

Notably, about two-thirds of the team consists of ex-OpenAI employees, including Barret Zoph, who departed OpenAI on the same day as Murati in late September and is now serving as Thinking Machines Lab’s chief technology officer.

Adding further weight to the venture, OpenAI co-founder John Schulman has joined as chief scientist. Schulman, who left OpenAI for Anthropic in August, has long been focused on AI alignment – an area that is central to Murati’s vision.

AI that complements, rather than competes, with humans

AI alignment, the process of embedding human values into AI systems to ensure their safety and reliability, sits at the heart of Thinking Machines Lab’s strategy.

Murati has laid out three core priorities for her startup:

• Tailoring AI to specific user needs
• Building robust AI foundations for enhanced capability
• Promoting open science to foster collaboration and understanding.

Her approach signals a shift towards AI that complements rather than competes with human expertise, a growing industry trend.

I started Thinking Machines Lab alongside a remarkable team of scientists, engineers, and builders. We're building three things:
- Helping people adapt AI systems to work for their specific needs
- Developing strong foundations to build more capable AI systems
- Fostering a…

— Mira Murati (@miramurati) February 18, 2025

Murati envisions an AI ecosystem that prioritises transparency, scientific integrity, and accessibility, potentially setting a new benchmark in the field.

But with OpenAI – and now DeepSeek – solidifying their dominance in AI, Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab enters an increasingly competitive landscape.

However, she aims to carve out a niche by developing proprietary AI models designed for practical applications and real-world impact.

The startup represents a growing decentralisation of leadership in the AI industry, joining the ranks of other breakaway ventures such as Anthropic and Ilya Sutskever’s Safe Superintelligence.

Also Read: OpenAI tech chief Mira Murati steps down

Murati aims to raise $100M in funding: reports

As Murati establishes her footing in the entrepreneurial world, she is also courting venture capitalists to secure funding. Reports suggest she is seeking over US$100 million to accelerate her plans.

Murati’s fundraising efforts come in the wake of her unexpected departure from OpenAI in late September, a move that coincided with the company’s governance restructuring.

Her career trajectory has since been closely watched, particularly after her brief tenure as interim CEO of OpenAI in 2023, following Sam Altman’s ousting.

Murati’s leadership during that tumultuous period cemented her status as a key player in the AI industry. Her exit was all the more striking as it came shortly before OpenAI’s record-breaking $6.6 billion funding round – the largest in venture capital history.

Her abrupt resignation offers a glimpse into the shifting sands within the AI industry, with top talent seeking to forge new paths beyond the confines of Big Tech firms.

Also Read: The most promising AI trends 2025

Fostering collaboration in the AI industry

Thinking Machines Lab has made its ambitions clear.

“While current systems excel at programming and mathematics, we’re building AI that can adapt to the full spectrum of human expertise and enable a broader spectrum of applications,” the company stated.

Committed to advancing AI alignment research, the startup plans to openly share code, datasets, and model specifications, fostering external collaboration in a field that remains highly guarded by industry giants.

Thinking Machines Lab is poised to play a pivotal role in the AI ecosystem – with its potential to reshape the AI landscape and the broader conversation about AI’s role in society.