Thinking Machines’ Mira Murati bats for responsible innovation, human connect

Artificial intelligence (AI) is entering a new phase, where machines are not just tools but also collaborators, says Mira Murati, cofounder and CEO of Thinking Machines Lab. In an interview with Bloomberg, Murati said the decision to start the company stemmed from a desire to build a frontier AI lab focused on human-AI collaboration.

Thinking Machines is building AI interaction models that make human-AI conversations rich and nuanced in real time instead of “turn-based”.

Murati said that while it is difficult to predict the future, “the most important thing would be to feel a sense of agency and possibility of the future.”


Towards human-like interaction

Elaborating on Thinking Machines' new “interaction models”, Murati described a future where speaking with AI “feels more like speaking with another person and less like sending messages back and forth.” She said the company is developing systems that can process incoming information and generate responses simultaneously, enabling more natural conversations.

Speaking on the cutthroat competition in the ever-evolving AI sphere, Murati said, “Competition is good as it leads to better products and technologies for people.” While the competition is fierce, it is also important to balance quick action with durable long-term progress, she added.

Thinking Machines Lab’s interaction model is currently in research preview and not publicly available. The company says it will release a limited preview in the coming months, with wider access planned later this year.

The company says its approach is meant to keep humans involved throughout the interaction, rather than pushing them out of the process.

OpenAI recollections

Murati was the chief technology officer of OpenAI before founding Thinking Machines Lab. Asked about the OpenAI board change, she said that while the situation looked “chaotic” from the outside, she stood by the feedback she had delivered to the board. “In retrospect, I think I would have paused more to understand the transition plan,” she added.

Murati was appointed interim CEO of OpenAI after its board temporarily forced ‌out cofounder Sam Altman in ⁠2023. She recently testified in a federal court that Altman was "creating chaos" and, at times, was deceptive with her and others. Murati testified that Altman pitted executives against one another and undermined her role as technology chief.

In the interview, Murati called for improved checks and balances on AI governance. “It’s tempting to push forward rapidly, but we need to build trust,” she told Bloomberg. “That means clear communication, external audits, and collaboration with policymakers.”