When I first learned that Mira Murati — former CTO of OpenAI — had launched her own AI venture, I knew it was only a matter of time before Thinking Machines Lab attracted some of the brightest minds in the field. That moment has come. Two of OpenAI’s most influential figures, Bob McGrew and Alec Radford, have now officially joined Murati’s startup as advisors.
Who Are the New Advisors at Thinking Machines Lab?
Thinking Machines Lab, which Murati founded after leaving OpenAI in October 2024, quietly updated its website in March 2025 to list Bob McGrew and Alec Radford as new advisors. Their presence on the advisory board is a big deal — not just for Thinking Machines Lab, but for the entire AI industry.
Bob McGrew: OpenAI’s Former Research Visionary
McGrew joined OpenAI back in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks. He became VP of Research in 2018 and later Chief Research Officer. His deep involvement in shaping OpenAI’s core research agenda gave him a strategic edge in AI development. After stepping away from OpenAI in September 2024, McGrew hinted he needed a break. Now, he's back — and it seems he’s chosen Thinking Machines Lab as the next place to make an impact.
Alec Radford: The Architect Behind GPT and DALL·E
If you’ve ever interacted with GPT or marveled at DALL·E’s capabilities, you’ve seen Radford’s fingerprints. He was the lead author of the foundational GPT research paper and worked on every major iteration of the model. He also played pivotal roles in Whisper (OpenAI’s speech model) and the initial versions of DALL·E. Radford left OpenAI in late 2024 to pursue independent research, but now he’s lending his expertise to Murati’s vision.
What Is Thinking Machines Lab Actually Building?
So far, Thinking Machines Lab has been tight-lipped about its specific products and long-term roadmap. But as someone following their journey closely, I found a few key clues.
According to a February 2025 update, the company is focused on building AI tools that adapt to people’s unique needs and goals. Their mission is to create AI systems that are:
- Customizable
- Widely understood
- Generally capable
This implies that Thinking Machines Lab is likely working on tools that go beyond the black-box AI models we’ve become used to — instead, they may be prioritizing transparency, personalization, and user control.
Who Else Is Behind Thinking Machines Lab?
Murati isn’t doing this alone. The leadership team is a veritable who's who of top AI talent:
- John Schulman, OpenAI co-founder, serves as Chief Scientist
- Barret Zoph, formerly head of model post-training at OpenAI, is now CTO
These names alone suggest a team capable of building state-of-the-art models. And if reports are to be believed, Murati has already been in talks to raise over $100 million from major venture capital firms.
Also worth noting: Thinking Machines Lab has hired dozens of former employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind, positioning it as a serious player in the next phase of AI development.
Why This Matters for the Future of AI
From my perspective, the addition of McGrew and Radford signals a few important things:
- Murati’s network is deep — and she’s leveraging it effectively.
- The startup aims to build serious, research-backed products, not just flashy demos.
- The mission of customization and user-centric AI is something the current market still lacks.
It’s exciting to see a startup so deliberately formed around talent and purpose — especially with so much of the industry dominated by a few large players.
With McGrew and Radford now onboard, I believe Thinking Machines Lab is positioning itself to not just compete with OpenAI, but to potentially out-innovate it in areas of personalization, transparency, and adaptability.
AI is at a pivotal moment. The hype is everywhere, but what we need now are tools that genuinely empower users and solve real-world problems — not just research that stays in the lab or products that serve only enterprise clients.
Thinking Machines Lab seems to understand that. And with this dream team in place, I can’t wait to see what they build next.
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