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Feature Story
Mira Murati’s AI Startup Makes First Hires, Including Former OpenAI Executive
Jan 17, 2025 · wired.com
Murati's exit was part of a broader exodus from OpenAI, with other key figures like Barret Zoph, Bob McGrew, and Ilya Sutskever also leaving. Sutskever went on to establish Safe Superintelligence, an AI safety-focused startup that quickly secured $1 billion in funding. Murati, meanwhile, is reportedly seeking over $100 million to fund her new venture. This trend of former OpenAI executives founding new AI companies is exemplified by Anthropic, which has raised substantial funding, including $8 billion from Amazon.
Key takeaways
- Jonathan Lachman, former head of special projects at OpenAI, joined a new AI research lab founded by ex-OpenAI executive Mira Murati.
- Mira Murati's new venture is focused on artificial general intelligence and has recruited around 10 researchers and engineers from competitors.
- Murati briefly served as interim CEO of OpenAI during a leadership crisis after Sam Altman's firing, before leaving to start her own company.
- Several former OpenAI executives, including Ilya Sutskever, have founded their own AI startups, with Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence raising $1 billion.