Thinking Machines Lab is already bleeding talent back to OpenAI.
OpenAI’s head of apps Fidji Simo said that Thinking Machines Lab cofounders Barret Zoph and Luke Metz, along with researcher Sam Schoenholz, are leaving Mira Murati’s new startup and rejoining OpenAI.
That matters because Thinking Machines has been one of the most hyped AI labs on the planet, reportedly raising at a $50 billion valuation. But in the last few months, it’s also quietly become a revolving door.
Back in October, another cofounder, Andrew Tulloch, left for Meta.
Why this is a bigger deal than it looks
This isn’t just “people switching jobs.”
This is a signal that:
OpenAI is still the gravitational center for top AI researchers
Even high-prestige startups with insane valuations can struggle to retain talent
The AI talent war is less about money, and more about compute, mission, and shipping impact
In other words, the hottest asset in AI isn’t the model.
It’s the people who can build the next one.