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Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer at OpenAI is in the process of raising capital for her new artificial intelligence startup, according to sources familiar with the situation. Murati, who played a key role in OpenAI’s success with transformative projects like ChatGPT and DALL-E, is looking to build AI products based on proprietary models.
While it is still unclear whether Murati will take on the CEO role in this new venture, the startup could raise over $100 million in funding, given her prominence in the field and the capital required to develop advanced AI systems.
According to one source who requested anonymity, the talks are in the early stages, and the final figure for the capital raise has not yet been confirmed. Murati’s track record at OpenAI, where she was instrumental in driving significant technological advancements, is likely to attract interest from venture capitalists eager to invest in her latest project.
There is speculation that Barret Zoph, a notable researcher who left OpenAI on the same day as Murati in September, may also be involved in the venture. Zoph has been reported to be planning his own startup, and Murati has reportedly been recruiting OpenAI employees for her new company. However, Zoph has not responded to requests for comment on his involvement.
Murati’s career at OpenAI spanned over six years, during which time she became one of the most influential figures in AI development. She was promoted to the role of CTO in May 2022 and frequently appeared alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in public presentations. Her leadership was crucial in OpenAI’s multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft and the launch of GPT-4o, which introduced realistic voice conversation capabilities.
Her sudden resignation in late September, which followed major governance changes at OpenAI, came as a surprise. Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during a tumultuous period for OpenAI, cited a desire for personal exploration as the reason for her departure.
With her departure, Murati joins a growing list of former OpenAI executives who have gone on to start their own AI ventures, including other key players such as Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence. As the AI field continues to expand rapidly, Murati’s new project could mark the beginning of another major advancement in artificial intelligence.
