Thinking Machines co-founder Lilian Weng left the company citing health reasons, then joined OpenAI

In Brief

Lilian Weng, co-founder of Thinking Machines, announced this week that she would measurement down from her role, citing wellness issues.

“I don’t consciousness I’m capable to proceed astatine the gait a startup requires,” she wrote successful an interior Slack message, which she besides shared connected X. “After reasoning astir it for respective months, I yet person to admit that the magnitude of accordant accent and workload person pushed maine beyond what my wellness tin prolong physically.”

On Wednesday, OpenAI told TechCrunch that Weng would beryllium rejoining the company, wherever she antecedently served arsenic the VP of AI Safety Research.

According to a institution spokesperson, Weng volition pb a top-level squad focused connected accelerating OpenAI’s interior research. This squad volition enactment cross-research enactment connected recursive self-improvement, a process that would let an AI strategy to iterate connected itself to go much powerful.

This determination could beryllium work arsenic contradictory to Weng’s statements astir the interaction of moving astatine a fast-paced startup connected her wellness — however, she apt won’t look arsenic overmuch nonstop unit portion moving astatine a institution wherever she isn’t a co-founder. Still, successful a clip of fierce contention for endowment among AI labs, this high-profile departure is notable.

Thinking Machines co-founder and erstwhile OpenAI CTO Mira Murati replied to Weng’s X station earlier this week and expressed support for her determination to absorption connected her health. It is unclear if Murati was alert that Weng would rejoin OpenAI.

“We’ll miss you, it’s been fantastic gathering Thinky together. I’m gladsome that you’re putting your wellness first. Thank you for everything,” Murati wrote successful effect to Weng’s post.

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