Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati seeks $100M for new AI venture
Mira Murati, the former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at OpenAI, is looking for over $100 million in funding for her new artificial intelligence (AI) start-up. As per Reuters, the new venture will focus on developing products based on proprietary models. While it is still not clear if Murati will take the CEO role, sources indicate she could possibly take the position. The funding talks are still in early stages.
Possible collaboration with former OpenAI researcher
Barret Zoph, a prominent researcher who departed OpenAI along with Murati in late September, may also be joining the new venture. This comes in line with earlier reports from The Information that Zoph is planning a new start-up, and that Murati has been hiring former OpenAI employees for her new venture.
Significant contributions at OpenAI
During her over six-year-long tenure at OpenAI, Murati led several transformative projects including ChatGPT and DALL-E. She also played a crucial role in OpenAI's multibillion dollar partnership with Microsoft, its largest financial backer. Her rapid rise within the firm has made her one of the most prominent executives in the emerging field of AI.
Murati's journey and departure from OpenAI
Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 and was promoted to CTO in 2022. Prior to her stint at the company, she worked at augmented reality start-up Leap Motion and Tesla. She often represented the firm alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, especially during the launch of its GPT-4o model. Her sudden resignation in late September came amid major governance structure changes at the company, including removing control from the non-profit board.
