Mira Murati’s departure from OpenAI in September 2024 marked a significant shift in the landscape of artificial intelligence research. Less than a year prior, OpenAI had undergone a tumultuous leadership crisis, culminating in the brief ousting of CEO Sam Altman. During this period, Murati, then serving as Chief Technology Officer, was appointed interim CEO, a move Altman later described as a “low point” in the ordeal. Though Altman was reinstated within a week following employee backlash, the incident undoubtedly impacted the internal dynamics at OpenAI, potentially contributing to Murati’s subsequent decision to leave. Her farewell letter, while expressing gratitude to Altman and acknowledging the difficulty of leaving, hinted at a desire for personal exploration and independent ventures. This desire materialized in the form of a new AI research lab, focused on the ambitious pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Murati’s nascent venture, still unnamed and without a solidified product direction, has quietly been attracting top talent from across the AI field. Jonathan Lachman, formerly the head of special projects at OpenAI, represents the most prominent hire to date. Lachman’s experience and expertise undoubtedly bring considerable weight to Murati’s endeavor. Beyond Lachman, Murati has assembled a team of roughly ten researchers and engineers, drawn from leading AI organizations such as Character AI and Google DeepMind, indicating the allure of her vision and the potential she holds within the industry. This poaching of talent underscores the competitive landscape of AI research, where the pursuit of AGI is driving the formation of new ventures and the realignment of existing ones.
The focus on AGI distinguishes Murati’s venture from other AI research labs. While many companies are exploring specific applications of AI, such as natural language processing or image generation, AGI represents a more fundamental and ambitious goal: the creation of an AI system with cognitive abilities comparable to or surpassing those of humans. This pursuit is fraught with both promise and peril, promising untold advancements while raising concerns about potential risks and ethical implications. Murati’s decision to center her new lab around AGI suggests a belief in the feasibility and importance of this long-sought goal. The secretive nature of the project further fuels speculation about the specific approach being taken and the potential breakthroughs being pursued.
Murati’s venture is not an isolated incident in the evolving AI ecosystem. The departure of other key figures from OpenAI, including Vice President of Research Barret Zoph, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, and co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, highlights a broader trend of researchers and executives branching out to establish their own independent ventures. Sutskever, for instance, founded Safe Superintelligence, a startup dedicated to addressing the safety concerns surrounding advanced AI. Within a short span, Safe Superintelligence secured a remarkable $1 billion in funding, underscoring the significant investment being poured into AI safety research. These departures and the subsequent emergence of new ventures signal a dynamic and rapidly evolving field, where innovation and competition are driving the pursuit of increasingly ambitious goals.
The success of former OpenAI executives in attracting substantial funding for their new ventures further underscores the growing investment and interest in the field of AI. Anthropic, another major competitor founded by former OpenAI personnel, has garnered billions of dollars in funding, including a significant investment from Amazon. This influx of capital reflects the widespread recognition of AI’s transformative potential and the increasing competition among tech giants and investors to secure a foothold in this rapidly expanding market. Murati’s efforts to raise over $100 million for her own venture, though not yet finalized, places her squarely within this trend, suggesting that her vision and leadership are attracting significant attention from potential investors.
The emergence of Murati’s still unnamed venture represents a significant development in the ongoing narrative of AI research. Her experience at OpenAI, her focus on AGI, and her ability to attract top talent all point to the potential for groundbreaking advancements. The secretive nature of the project, combined with the high-profile departures from OpenAI and the significant funding secured by similar ventures, creates an air of anticipation and speculation within the AI community. As Murati’s team continues to grow and her vision takes shape, the broader implications for the future of AI research and the pursuit of AGI remain to be seen, but the potential for disruption and innovation is undeniable.
