Mira Murati, former Chief Technology Officer at OpenAI, has launched Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup that aims to build systems aligned with human values. The company boasts a team of about 30 top-tier researchers and engineers from leading AI firms, including OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.

Thinking Machines Lab seeks to differentiate itself in the crowded AI landscape by focusing on AI alignment—ensuring that AI models are safe, reliable, and designed to incorporate human values. 

A significant portion of Murati’s team consists of former OpenAI employees, underscoring her ability to attract top talent from her previous workplace. Among them is Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who departed OpenAI the same day as Murati in September and will serve as the startup’s chief technology officer. 

Additionally, OpenAI co-founder John Schulman has joined as the chief scientist after a brief stint at rival firm Anthropic.

The company is already in discussions to secure venture capital funding, according to sources. Murati’s move follows a growing trend of former OpenAI executives launching AI startups, such as Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence, both of which have successfully raised billions in investment.