Murati announced Zoph's departure, who served as the company's co-founder and CTO, on X Wednesday. "We have parted ways with Barret," Murati stated. She also announced Soumith Chintala as the new CTO of Thinking Machines, describing him as "a brilliant and seasoned leader" with significant contributions to the AI field.
Just under an hour after Murati's announcement, Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of applications, revealed that Zoph, Metz, and Schoenholz would be rejoining OpenAI. "Excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back to OpenAI! This has been in the works for several weeks, and we’re thrilled to have them join the team," Simo posted on X.
The reasons behind the co-founders' return to OpenAI remain undisclosed. The move highlights the intense competition for talent within the artificial intelligence sector, where established companies and startups alike are vying for skilled researchers and engineers. Zoph's expertise lies in neural architecture search (NAS), a technique used to automate the design of neural networks. NAS has become increasingly important as AI models grow in complexity, requiring more efficient and tailored architectures. Metz's background is in machine learning research, with a focus on developing new algorithms and techniques for training AI models.
The departure of key personnel from Thinking Machines Lab raises questions about the startup's future direction and its ability to compete in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. While Murati expressed enthusiasm for the new CTO, Chintala, the loss of two co-founders could present challenges in maintaining momentum and executing the company's vision. The movement of talent between OpenAI and Thinking Machines Lab underscores the interconnectedness of the AI research community and the ongoing efforts to advance the field. The implications of these personnel changes on specific projects or future developments at either company are yet to be seen.
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