- Lilian Weng, cofounder of Thinking Machines Lab, is returning to OpenAI to lead a team focused on accelerating internal AI research and achieving recursive self-improvement.
- She left Thinking Machines due to health concerns and the unsustainable pace required at the startup, seeking a more predictable role as an employee rather than a cofounder.
- Weng previously worked at OpenAI from 2018 to 2024, contributing to the development of GPT-4 and building the Applied AI Research team.
- Her departure from Thinking Machines is part of a trend, with nearly a third of founding members having left the startup since its launch.