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Thinking Machines Taps Soumith Chintala as CTO After Barret Zoph Exit, OpenAI Rehires Three

The rapid moves highlight intense competition for senior AI talent following the startup’s $2 billion seed round.

Overview

  • CEO Mira Murati announced the company has parted ways with co-founder and CTO Barret Zoph and named Soumith Chintala as his successor.
  • OpenAI’s Fidji Simo said Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz are returning to OpenAI, describing the move as in the works for weeks.
  • Murati’s post did not mention Metz, and OpenAI’s announcement arrived roughly an hour later.
  • WIRED reported claims that Zoph was fired for “unethical conduct” and allegedly shared confidential information, which the outlet said it could not verify.
  • The leadership changes land less than a year after Thinking Machines raised $2 billion at a $12 billion valuation.