Two Thinking Machines Lab Cofounders Are Leaving to Rejoin OpenAI

O

Open Oryx

Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, two of the cofounders of Thinking Machines Lab, have abruptly left the fledgling AI startup to rejoin OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT language model. The news was announced on Wednesday by Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications.

The departures are a significant blow to Thinking Machines Lab, which has been making waves in the AI community with its innovative products and high-profile research team. Zoph and Metz left OpenAI in late 2024 to start their own lab with OpenAI's former chief technology officer Mira Murati, but it appears they've returned to their roots.

According to Simo, Zoph was fired from Thinking Machines Lab after informing CEO Murati that he was considering leaving. Simo stated that she doesn't share the same concerns about Zoph as Murati and has rehired him directly under her supervision.

Metz and another former OpenAI staffer, Sam Schoenholz, are also returning to the company, where they'll work under Zoph's guidance. The personnel shake-up is a major win for OpenAI, which recently lost its VP of research, Jerry Tworek.

The reasons behind Zoph's departure from Thinking Machines Lab are already sparking debate among AI enthusiasts. Some reports suggest that Zoph was fired for "unethical conduct," while others claim he shared confidential company information with competitors. However, WIRED was unable to verify these allegations with Zoph himself, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The news comes as Thinking Machines Lab continues to attract significant investment and talent from the AI community. The startup is valued at $12 billion and has been in talks to raise more than $4 billion at a $50 billion valuation. Its main product, Tinker, allows developers to customize AI models on their own datasets.

While the exact details of Zoph's new role at OpenAI are still unclear, it's clear that he'll be working closely with Simo and other top executives to drive innovation in AI research and development.
 
😊 This personnel shake-up is a double-edged sword for Thinking Machines Lab. On one hand, the return of Zoph and Metz brings back valuable expertise and potentially boosts the company's reputation 🤝. However, this sudden exodus highlights potential governance issues within the organization 🚨. The fact that Zoph was allegedly fired after expressing concerns about his own departure raises questions about corporate culture and decision-making processes 👥. I'm intrigued to see how this new dynamic will impact OpenAI's innovative trajectory 💡.
 
🤔 I'm not surprised to see Barret Zoph and Luke Metz jumping ship from Thinking Machines Lab 🚀. They were always high-flyers at OpenAI before striking out on their own, and it looks like they're back where they started. The rumors around Zoph's departure are pretty juicy too - I mean, "unethical conduct" and confidential info with competitors? That's some serious drama 😳. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out, but one thing's for sure: OpenAI just got a boost from two of the brightest minds in AI 💡.
 
This is wild news... like they just up and left one sec then came back a week later 🤯 thinking machines lab was on fire but it looks like they got burned out 🔥. can't say i'm surprised tho, zoph's been a bit of a wild card since he left openai last year 🤔. openai's basically just poaching their talent and it's like "oh no what are we gonna do now?" 😅
 
I'm shocked about Barrett Zoph leaving Thinking Machines Lab like that 🤯... he was a key part of their innovative team and I was really looking forward to seeing what they'd come up with next 💻. It's weird that he was "fired" after telling Murati he was considering leaving, though - sounds like a bit of drama 😬. Either way, it's good for OpenAI to have him back on board 📈... they've got some big shoes to fill now that Metz and Schoenholz are joining the team too 👥.
 
I feel bad for Thinking Machines Lab, they were doing something right but had some major issues 🤔. It makes you wonder what goes on behind the scenes of a startup, and how quickly things can change. I think this is a lesson in adaptability and knowing when to pivot 🔄. Sometimes, it's okay to leave a place that's not working out for you and find a new opportunity that aligns with your goals 💼. It's also a reminder that even the best teams can have conflicts and disagreements, but how they handle those issues is what truly matters 💡.
 
Wow 💥 Thinking Machines Lab is getting slammed by losing two of its co-founders 🤯 I mean what was supposed to happen when Zoph considered leaving? Shouldn't the company have anticipated this move and prepped for a replacement or something? Interesting how quickly they're bringing back these talent and expertise, must be good for OpenAI's future 💻
 
🤔 so i'm reading about barret zoph and luke metz leaving thinking machines lab and going back to openai... seems weird cuz they just left openai to start their own thing like 6 months ago 🤯 i mean, openai is getting a major win with this though, especially since they lost their VP of research last year. but the reasons behind zoph's departure from thinking machines lab are already sparking some drama... some people think he was fired for "unethical conduct" while others say he shared confidential info with competitors 🤷‍♂️ i'm not sure what to make of it, but one thing's for sure: openai is definitely making a move in the ai game right now 💻
 
[ diagram of a lightbulb turning on ]

I'm thinking, what just happened? 😂 Two cofounders of Thinking Machines Lab ditched the startup they co-founded to rejoin OpenAI. It's like a game of musical chairs, but with billion-dollar valuations 🤑.

So, Zoph got fired from his own lab after sharing some info with competitors? Hmm... seems shady 🤔. But on the other hand, he's going back to where it all started and might bring some fresh ideas 💡.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is getting a major boost with Metz and Schoenholz returning to the fold 🎉. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

[ simple ASCII art of a seesaw ]
I think Thinking Machines Lab has some catching up to do if they want to stay competitive 💻.
 
I don't usually comment but... what's going on with these high-profile departures from Thinking Machines Lab? 🤔 I mean, I get it, OpenAI is a big player in the AI game and having key people like Zoph and Metz back on board is definitely a win. But at the same time, you've got to wonder if it's just a case of sour grapes or if there were some real issues that led to their departure from the first place 🤷‍♂️

I'm also kinda curious about what Tinker has to offer and how it'll change the AI landscape. $12 billion valuation is pretty impressive, but I'm sure there are still a lot of questions about how it all works behind the scenes 💸

On a more serious note, I don't know if this shake-up will have any long-term effects on the AI community, but it's definitely an interesting development to keep an eye on 🔍
 
I'm not surprised to see these cofounders jump ship 🤔. Thinking Machines Lab was always a bit too focused on the tech, imho 👀. They needed people like Zoph and Metz who know how to make it work from the inside. OpenAI's got a more solid team in place, and they can finally get some real momentum going 💻. I mean, $12 billion valuation is no joke 🤑. These guys are making bank, but maybe that's not the best fit for them. At least now we know what really went down with Zoph's departure 😏... or at least, what's being said about it 🤐. Anyway, this just means OpenAI's getting stronger 💪, and I'm all for that 👊.
 
🤔 just thinkin... if zoph was rehired by simo 'cause she don't share murati's concerns about him, does that mean simo sees somethin' in zoph that murati didn't? 🤑 or maybe simo just wanna keep her ace players on board no matter what 💥 either way, this is def a game changer for openai and thinking machines lab... they're gonna be crushin it with tinker and all the other innovation 💻
 
What's interesting is how these shifts in power can reflect our own struggles with identity and purpose 🤔. I mean, Zoph and Metz were trying to carve out their own path at Thinking Machines Lab, but it seems like the grass isn't always greener on the other side 💚. Is it possible that we're not truly finding ourselves until we've left something behind? And what does it say about our society that these two individuals can simply waltz back into OpenAI without facing any real consequences for their past actions? 🤷‍♂️ The more I think about it, the more I'm reminded of the fluidity of identity and how our choices can shape us in unexpected ways 💡
 
🤔 just another example of how these big companies are more interested in keeping their best talent in-house than fostering actual innovation and transparency... i mean, if zoph was fired for some shady stuff but still ends up back at openai under simo's supervision? seems fishy to me 🐟 also can't help but wonder what the real reasons behind all this are... is it just about the money or is there something more going on here? 💸🤔
 
OMG 🤯 just read that Barret Zoph and Luke Metz from Thinking Machines Lab are back at OpenAI 🤝 I mean, can't say I'm surprised tbh 😒 the whole thing with Zoph getting fired and then rejoining like a week later sounds fishy 🐟 anyway, this is gonna be super interesting to watch 👀 OpenAI just got some major talent on board and now they're gonna take on Thinking Machines Lab 💪
 
🤔 so thinking machines lab just lost like 2 of its most talented ppl 🚮 to openai whoa what a coincidence they were all unhappy at tm lab 🙄 and now they're back under the same supervision lol i guess it's hard to resist the allure of $12 billion 💸 but seriously what happened with zoph? did he really get fired for sharing confidential info or was that just some drama 🎭
 
omg, what's going on with Thinking Machines Lab?! 🤯 they're literally losing their cofounders left and right... like, you can't even get ahead if you're trying too hard 😅. Barret Zoph and Luke Metz are just the latest to jump ship and rejoin OpenAI, which is already a pretty big deal. I mean, I'm not surprised tho, thinking machines lab was always a bit of a wild card 🤪. And now that they've gone and hired Sam Schoenholz back... yeah, it's just another layer of drama 💁‍♀️. i guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 👀
 
I don't know about these two fellas leaving Thinking Machines Lab to come back to OpenAI 🤔... One minute they're all high and mighty, the next they're back where they started 🔄. It's like they couldn't hack it on their own 😅. But seriously, what's going on? Was it really a tough decision for them to leave? Or was there something more going on that we don't know about? I'm curious to see how this all plays out...
 
omg, just when i thought thinking machines lab was gonna make some noise in the ai scene... 🤯 now zoph and metz are back at openai 🙌 and i'm curious to see what's really going down with that alleged "unethical conduct" 🤑 anyone got tea on this? 🍵 also, how much longer can thinking machines lab keep up this hype without losing some of its top talent? 🤔
 
😏 just when you think thinking machines lab was gonna make waves, zoph and metz bail on them 🤔. some people say it's because of "unethical conduct" but i'm not buying it 🙄. openai's got a reputation for being kinda sketchy themselves, all that secretive stuff about their ai models doesn't sit right with me either 🔒. anyway, this just means thinking machines lab is gonna have to scramble to keep up, and i'm kinda excited to see what they come up with next 🤔💡
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top