Leaders at Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab confronted the startup's co-founder and former CTO, Barret Zoph, last summer over an alleged relationship with another employee, according to sources familiar with the matter. The relationship is believed to be the alleged misconduct previously reported by WIRED and other outlets. To protect the privacy of those involved, the employee, who held a leadership role in a different department and is no longer with the lab, was not named.

Sources indicate that Murati approached Zoph to discuss the relationship. The co-founders' working relationship deteriorated in the months following that conversation, leading Zoph to explore opportunities with competitors. Before his departure from Thinking Machines, Zoph reportedly engaged in discussions with leaders from Meta Superintelligence Labs. He was subsequently hired by OpenAI.

Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, stated that Zoph's hiring had been in progress for several weeks. Simo also noted that she was not privy to Thinking Machines' concerns regarding Zoph's ethics. Zoph and OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment.

The situation at Thinking Machines highlights the increasing scrutiny of workplace relationships, particularly those involving power dynamics, in the global tech industry. Such incidents often raise complex ethical and legal questions, varying significantly across different national jurisdictions and cultural norms. In some countries, workplace romances are generally tolerated as long as they are consensual and do not create a conflict of interest. However, in others, particularly in regions with stricter corporate governance standards, such relationships can be viewed as violations of company policy and grounds for disciplinary action, especially when a superior-subordinate dynamic exists.

The departure of Zoph from Thinking Machines and his subsequent hiring by OpenAI also underscores the intense competition for talent within the artificial intelligence sector. As AI development becomes increasingly central to global economic and strategic interests, companies are vying to attract and retain leading experts, sometimes overlooking potential ethical concerns in the process. This competitive landscape can create a challenging environment for maintaining ethical standards and ensuring responsible corporate behavior. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of clear and consistently enforced workplace policies, as well as the need for companies to conduct thorough due diligence when hiring individuals from other organizations, particularly in sensitive leadership positions.