Thinking Machines Lab, the startup co-founded by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, has seen two of its co-founders depart, with both returning to OpenAI. Barret Zoph, the company’s co-founder and CTO, is among the departures, with Soumith Chintala stepping in as the new CTO of Thinking Machines. Murati’s announcement on social media did not mention other departures at the time, but soon after, OpenAI CEO Fidji Simo confirmed that Zoph, along with Luke Metz and Sam Schoenholz, would be returning to the company.
Departures and New Appointments at Thinking Machines
In her post on X, Murati confirmed Zoph’s departure, noting that Chintala, a seasoned AI leader with over a decade of contributions to the field, would assume the CTO role. Thinking Machines expressed enthusiasm for Chintala’s leadership, given his experience and contributions to AI.
Just over an hour after Murati’s post, Simo revealed that Zoph, Metz, and Schoenholz would rejoin OpenAI, stating that the move had been in the works for weeks. Metz, another co-founder of Thinking Machines, and Schoenholz, both former OpenAI staff members, are also returning to the AI giant.
Zoph’s Career and Thinking Machines’ Progress
Zoph, a former VP of research at OpenAI, had previously worked at Google as a research scientist for six years before joining OpenAI. Murati, who served as OpenAI’s CTO until September 2024, left the company to co-found Thinking Machines with Zoph and Metz. Since then, Thinking Machines has secured significant funding, including a $2 billion seed round in July 2025, led by Andreessen Horowitz and with participation from Accel, Nvidia, AMD, and Jane Street. This funding round valued the startup at $12 billion.
The loss of Zoph and Metz, particularly so early in the startup’s existence, is being seen as a noteworthy event. Murati’s messaging about Zoph’s departure was notably brief, leading to speculation about the nature of the split. Wired reported that the separation was not amicable, which may have contributed to the lack of elaboration on Zoph’s exit.
Impact on Thinking Machines
While talent turnover in the AI industry is common, the departure of co-founders so early in a company’s life is rare and could be seen as a setback for Thinking Machines. The company, which was founded by former OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral AI researchers, has already experienced other leadership changes, including the October departure of co-founder Andrew Tulloch, who joined Meta.
Thinking Machines has amassed a high-profile team, but the departure of two co-founders, including the CTO, may raise questions about the startup’s future direction and stability.
Featured image credits: Heute.at
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