Thinking Machines Lab
{{Short description|AI startup}}
Thinking Machines Lab Inc. is an American artificial intelligence (AI) startup led by Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of OpenAI.{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2025-02-18 |title=Thinking Machines Lab is ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new startup |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/18/thinking-machines-lab-is-ex-openai-cto-mira-muratis-new-startup/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The company was founded in February 2025, and by May it was reported that it "could be valued at $10 billion [...] making it one of the most valuable AI startups in the world".{{Cite news |last1=Tong |first1=Anna |last2=Hu |first2=Krystal |last3=Tong |first3=Anna |last4=Hu |first4=Krystal |date=2025-04-11 |title=A16z eyes leading mega round in former OpenAI CTO's startup Thinking Machines, sources say |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/a16z-eyes-leading-mega-round-former-openai-ctos-startup-thinking-machines-2025-04-11/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |work=Reuters |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bergman |first=Ben |title=Want to invest in Mira Murati's new AI startup? You'll have to pony up at least $50 million. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-is-asking-investors-to-commit-to-at-least-50-million-2025-5 |access-date=2025-05-25 |website=Business Insider}} The company is based in San Francisco and structured as a public benefit corporation.{{Cite web |last=Bernard |first=Chris |date=2025-02-18 |title=Sam Altman's Former CTO Launches OpenAI Competitor, Thinking Machine Labs |url=https://www.eweek.com/news/mira-murati-ai-startup-thinking-machines-lab/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |work=eWeek |language=en-US |issn=1530-6283}}{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Levy |title=Mira Murati Is Ready to Tell the World What She’s Working On |url=https://www.wired.com/story/mira-murati-thinking-machines-lab/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |work=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}
The company aims "to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable", with an emphasis on collective research culture, human-AI collaboration, model intelligence, and research and product co-design.{{Cite web |title=Thinking Machines Lab |url=https://thinkingmachines.ai/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=thinkingmachines.ai}}
History
By its launch in February 2025, Thinking Machines Lab was reported to have hired "a team of about 30 leading researchers and engineers from competitors including OpenAI, Meta AI, and Mistral AI."{{Cite news |last1=Bajwa |first1=Arsheeya |last2=Hu |first2=Krystal |last3=Tong |first3=Anna |last4=Hu |first4=Krystal |last5=Tong |first5=Anna |date=2025-02-19 |title=Mira Murati's new AI startup poaches 20 OpenAI researchers |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/former-openai-technology-chief-mira-muratis-ai-startup-taps-top-researchers-2025-02-18/ |access-date=2025-02-19 |work=Reuters |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Eaton |first=Kit |date=2025-01-17 |title=OpenAI's Ex-CTO Raids Rivals for Top Team at Her Startup |url=https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/openais-ex-cto-raids-rivals-for-top-team-at-her-startup/91108928 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122035352/https://www.inc.com/kit-eaton/openais-ex-cto-raids-rivals-for-top-team-at-her-startup/91108928 |archive-date=2025-01-22 |access-date=2025-01-28 |work=Inc |language=en-US |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last1=Palazzolo |first1=Stephanie |last2=Efrati |first2=Amir |date=2025-01-29 |title=OpenAI Tightens Grip on High End of App Market; Murati's Startup Gets a Name [Paywalled] |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-tightens-grip-on-high-end-of-app-market-muratis-startup-gets-a-name?rc=jmkchm |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=The Information |language=en-US}}{{Cite magazine |last=Schiffer |first=Zoë |title=Mira Murati's AI Startup Makes First Hires, Including Former OpenAI Executive |url=https://www.wired.com/story/mira-murati-startup-hire-staff/ |access-date=2025-01-28 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2025-02-18 |title=Thinking Machines Lab is ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new startup |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/18/thinking-machines-lab-is-ex-openai-cto-mira-muratis-new-startup/ |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Its founding team members include OpenAI cofounder John Schulman, who joined after a brief stint at the lab's competitor Anthropic.{{Cite web |title=OpenAI Co-Founder John Schulman Joins Mira Murati's Startup |url=https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/openai-co-founder-john-schulman-is-joining-mira-muratis-startup |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=The Information |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2024-08-06 |title=OpenAI co-founder Schulman leaves for Anthropic, Brockman takes extended leave |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/05/openai-co-founder-leaves-for-anthropic/ |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=TechCrunch}} Other former OpenAI employees who have been hired include Jonathan Lachman and Barret Zoph.{{Cite news |last=Criddle |first=Cristina |date=2025-02-18 |title=Former OpenAI technology chief Mira Murati launches rival start-up |url=https://www.ft.com/content/669dd6dd-68fc-4110-875d-af679f6f5c58 |access-date=2025-05-28 |work=Financial Times}} Thinking Machines Lab's advisers include Bob McGrew, previously OpenAI’s chief research officer, and Alec Radford, who was a lead researcher on many of OpenAI's flagship models.{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2025-04-08 |title=Mira Murati's AI startup gains prominent ex-OpenAI advisers |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/mira-muratis-ai-startup-gains-prominent-ex-openai-advisers/ |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}
Business structure
Thinking Machines Lab follows a governance structure wherein Mira Murati holds a deciding vote on board matters, weighted to provide her with a majority decision-making capability. Additionally, founding shareholders possess votes weighted 100 times greater than those of regular shareholders, ensuring strong founding influence on the strategic direction of the lab.{{Cite web |title=Thinking Machines Lab CEO Has Unusual Control in Andreessen-Led Deal |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/thinking-machines-lab-ceo-unusual-control-andreessen-led-deal |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=The Information |language=en}}
In April 2025, Andreessen Horowitz was reported to lead Thinking Machines Lab's seed round of $2 billion, which "would value the company at 'at least' $10 billion".{{Cite web |last=Wiggers |first=Kyle |date=2025-04-10 |title=Mira Murati's AI startup is reportedly aiming for a massive $2B seed round |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/10/mira-muratis-ai-startup-is-reportedly-aiming-for-a-massive-2b-seed-round/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The government of Albania (Murati's country of origin) was also included in this round, an investment which required an amendment to the country's 2025 budget.{{Cite web |last=Saliu |first=Klara |date=2025-05-01 |title=Albania Enters Global AI Market; Government Invests $10 Million in "Machine Thinking Lab" Led by Albanian-American Mira Murati |url=https://rtsh.al/rti/en/albania-enters-global-ai-market-government-invests-10-million-in-machine-thinking-lab-led-by-albanian-american-mira-murati/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=RTSH English |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website}}
Category:Artificial intelligence
Category:Technology companies based in California
Category:Artificial intelligence laboratories
Category:2025 establishments in California
Category:American companies established in 2025
Category:Companies based in San Francisco