Leaders in Mir Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab confronted startup co-founder and former CTO Barret Zoph about an alleged relationship with another employee, WIRED has learned.
This connection was likely due to alleged “improper conduct” mentioned in previous reports, including by WIRED.
To protect the privacy of those involved, WIRED is not naming the individual employee. The person who worked in a department other than Zoph and held a management position is no longer in the lab.
Sources say Murati contacted Zoph to discuss the relationship. According to multiple sources, the co-founders’ working relationship fell apart within months after this conversation, and Zoph began talking to competitors about other opportunities.
Before Zoph left the company, he spoke with Meta Superintelligence Labs leaders, according to a source familiar with the matter. Zoph was eventually hired by OpenAI. OpenAI general manager of applications Fidji Simo said the hiring had been in the works for weeks. Simo also noted that she did not share Thinking Machines’ concerns about Zopha’s ethics.
Zoph and OpenAI declined to comment on the matter.
This week, the third co-founder of Thinking Machines, Luke Metz, and at least three other researchers from Murati’s startup also left for OpenAI. In October, startup co-founder Andrew Tulloch left for Meta.
While tensions between Murati and Zoph have come to a head in recent days, this does not entirely explain the wider exodus of Thinking Machines employees.
WIRED previously reported that there was disagreement within Thinking Machines over what the startup should build.
In November, Murati’s startup was apparently is looking to raise $50 billion in capital, up from its current valuation of $12 billion.
Thinking Machines Lab declined to comment for this story.