OpenAI has swooped in to poach two co-founders of AI startup Thinking Machines Lab, Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, just months after the pair left the company. The moves come as part of a broader shake-up at the company, which is itself navigating its own internal power struggles.
According to sources close to the matter, Zoph's departure from OpenAI was precipitated by an incident of serious misconduct that occurred while he was still with Thinking Machines Lab. The exact nature of the incident remains unclear, but it appears to have damaged the trust between Zoph and his former boss, Mira Murati.
Murati is reportedly furious about Zoph's decision to leave Thinking Machines without her knowledge or consent. She allegedly fired him on Wednesday, just before he had planned to inform her that he was joining OpenAI again.
However, OpenAI claims that it didn't know about the concerns raised by Thinking Machines and has no idea what happened during Zoph's time there. The company's CEO, Fidji Simo, says that the recruitment process for Zoph and Metz had been underway for weeks.
This latest move brings a further layer of complexity to OpenAI's already volatile internal politics. Just last year, the company was embroiled in a major power struggle when Sam Altman, its former CEO, was ousted in a surprise move that became known as "the blip".
The drama has sparked concerns among researchers and experts, who claim that the AI industry is becoming increasingly dysfunctional due to infighting and instability. Many are worried about what this means for the future of artificial intelligence development.
Despite these power struggles, some AI labs are pushing forward with ambitious projects to train agents to perform real-world tasks. For example, companies like Handshake, Mercor, Surge, and Turing are paying top dollar to contract experts in various fields, including finance, law, healthcare, and consulting.
These agents will be trained on boring video games that mimic the tasks they need to perform in the real world. The goal is for AI systems to become proficient enough to use software applications that professionals use every day.
However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will ultimately result in AI systems that can execute office tasks with accuracy and consistency.
According to sources close to the matter, Zoph's departure from OpenAI was precipitated by an incident of serious misconduct that occurred while he was still with Thinking Machines Lab. The exact nature of the incident remains unclear, but it appears to have damaged the trust between Zoph and his former boss, Mira Murati.
Murati is reportedly furious about Zoph's decision to leave Thinking Machines without her knowledge or consent. She allegedly fired him on Wednesday, just before he had planned to inform her that he was joining OpenAI again.
However, OpenAI claims that it didn't know about the concerns raised by Thinking Machines and has no idea what happened during Zoph's time there. The company's CEO, Fidji Simo, says that the recruitment process for Zoph and Metz had been underway for weeks.
This latest move brings a further layer of complexity to OpenAI's already volatile internal politics. Just last year, the company was embroiled in a major power struggle when Sam Altman, its former CEO, was ousted in a surprise move that became known as "the blip".
The drama has sparked concerns among researchers and experts, who claim that the AI industry is becoming increasingly dysfunctional due to infighting and instability. Many are worried about what this means for the future of artificial intelligence development.
Despite these power struggles, some AI labs are pushing forward with ambitious projects to train agents to perform real-world tasks. For example, companies like Handshake, Mercor, Surge, and Turing are paying top dollar to contract experts in various fields, including finance, law, healthcare, and consulting.
These agents will be trained on boring video games that mimic the tasks they need to perform in the real world. The goal is for AI systems to become proficient enough to use software applications that professionals use every day.
However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will ultimately result in AI systems that can execute office tasks with accuracy and consistency.
i mean thinking machines lab seems like a pretty legit startup but if there was misconduct going on then yeah that's no good. barret zoph joining openai again after getting fired from tm lab is like, super strange 
what even is the protocol here? and what does muraati know about the whole thing now that she's been left in the dark?
meanwhile, ai labs are still trying to make progress on training real-world agents. i guess that's a good thing? 
but yeah, stability and integrity are super important in the ai industry if we wanna actually get some useful stuff out of this tech
seriously though, all these power struggles and drama in the ai world are super concerning. we need stability and focus to make progress in ai development 
Can you believe OpenAI is like the ultimate player in a real-life game of "Recruitment Roulette"? First, they poach two co-founders from Thinking Machines Lab, and now it seems like they're getting sued for leaving without telling their boss 
... I mean, Mira Murati. Meanwhile, Sam Altman (the former CEO) was ousted last year because of a power struggle? Sounds like the AI industry is more drama than Silicon Valley 
... But on a serious note, it's a bit concerning that researchers and experts are worried about infighting and instability in the field 
️?
! First, it's the co-founders of Thinking Machines Lab, now it's someone else... does Sam Altman's infamous "blip" still have a ripple effect on the AI industry? 
Maybe these power struggles will actually lead to some breakthroughs, like a game-changing AI system that can ace office tasks without getting too hangry 
. But until then, I'm over here rooting for Handshake and Mercor's efforts... at least they're making a decent living off boring video games 
!
! OpenAI's internal drama is getting out of hand 
. With all these power struggles, it's hard to trust anyone in the AI industry 
. I mean, Barret Zoph just left Thinking Machines Lab and now he's back at OpenAI? That doesn't sit well with me 
. And Murati getting fired like that? Ouch! 
. If it gets any more chaotic, who's gonna be responsible for making sure these agents actually work as intended? 
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. But it's gotta happen with a solid foundation, you know? 
. And now with Murati firing Zoph without knowing the full story... that's just a recipe for disaster 
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... think of it like a never-ending game of musical chairs, but instead of chairs, its AI jobs 
... any way, this whole drama is giving me major "Westworld"-vibe vibes 
. On the one hand, it's crazy how quickly these companies are growing and innovating. But on the other hand, all these power struggles and internal dramas are making me wonder if anyone is really working towards a cohesive goal 
. I hope companies like Handshake, Mercor, Surge, and Turing can actually deliver on their promises and create AI systems that are reliable and accurate 
.
!
! Recruiting two co-founders of Thinking Machines Lab without even knowin' about the drama behind one of 'em? That's like tryin' to assemble a team of Lego blocks while ignore-in' the instructions 
. Like, what's the point of having a bunch of internal power struggles when you're trying to push forward on AI development? It's like they're just creating a toxic work environment for themselves. And yeah, I'm all for experts being paid top dollar, but only if they're actually working towards something meaningful 
. Training agents on boring video games is just so... basic 
. Can't they think outside the box (or in this case, the game)?
Meanwhile, the AI research community is just getting more divided and dysfunctional by the day 
. I mean, who's to say these 'agents' are gonna be able to do actual office work with any kind of consistency or accuracy? That sounds like a recipe for disaster 
?
That's some crazy drama right there! 
. It's not just about individual talent leaving, but about the disruption that can occur when companies start poaching employees 
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. We just need to make sure that we're prioritizing transparency, accountability, and human-centered design