Apple Reportedly Met with OpenAI's Former CTO for Acquisition Talks

Select Language:

According to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been engaged not only in discussions about a potential acquisition of Perplexity but has also explored a deal with Thinking Machines Lab, a promising artificial intelligence startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.

Murati’s career at OpenAI came to an end last year amid a boardroom upheaval that briefly ousted CEO Sam Altman. The tumultuous events, detailed in the book “The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future,” revealed that Murati and Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist, were pivotal figures in the board’s sudden actions. Following Altman’s removal, Murati even stepped in as interim CEO but threatened to resign unless he was reinstated. Ultimately, the board’s coup failed, leading Murati and several others to retreat in their positions in a bid to stabilize the company.

Less than a year later, Murati left OpenAI and launched Thinking Machines Lab. Meanwhile, Sutskever also departed from OpenAI to begin his own venture, Safe SuperIntelligence. Gurman reported that earlier this year, Apple met with Murati to discuss the possibility of acquiring Thinking Machines Lab, though the negotiations did not advance significantly.

Thinking Machines Lab has emerged as a notable entity in the AI field, recently completing a record-breaking $2 billion seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, which brought its valuation to an impressive $10 billion.

Currently, public information about Thinking Machines Lab is limited, but the company aims to develop AI knowledge and tools tailored to meet individual needs and goals. Their mission statement, featured on their official website, highlights a commitment to bridging the gap between cutting-edge AI systems and public understanding, ensuring these technologies are more customizable and user-friendly.

While Apple has shown interest in Thinking Machines Lab, discussions have reportedly not progressed beyond preliminary stages, unlike its ongoing assessment of Perplexity.