A clandestine workplace relationship between a chief technology officer and a junior colleague has ignited a dramatic talent exodus at San Francisco artificial intelligence startup Thinking Machines Lab, with three senior staff members defecting to rival firm OpenAI.
CEO Discovers Secret Relationship
Thinking Machines Lab CEO Mira Murati claims she uncovered the secret romance between her chief technology officer Barret Zoph and another staff member after noticing what she describes as a significant decline in Zoph's productivity. According to Murati, Zoph had used his executive position to lobby for his unnamed romantic partner to be recruited from OpenAI, where all parties had previously worked together before Murati founded her startup.
Boardroom Confrontation
The situation escalated dramatically last week during what was supposed to be a routine one-to-one meeting between Murati and Zoph. Instead, the CEO found herself facing Zoph alongside co-founder Luke Metz and another employee, Sam Schoenholz. In a stunning development, all three employees reportedly informed Murati they were considering leaving the company and demanded that Zoph be granted greater influence over technical decisions.
Murati reportedly challenged Zoph about his performance during the tense encounter, and just days later, Zoph was dismissed from his position. However, Metz and Schoenholz quickly followed him out the door, with all three accepting offers to return to their former employer, OpenAI.
Conflicting Accounts of Termination
The circumstances surrounding Zoph's departure remain contested. Murati claims in internal communications that Zoph exhibited numerous performance issues alongside problems with trust and professional conduct. However, Zoph maintains a completely different version of events.
'Thinking Machine Labs terminated my employment only after it learned I would be leaving the company. Full stop,' Zoph told the Wall Street Journal. 'At no time did TML cite to me any performance reasons or any unethical conduct on my part as the reason for my termination and any suggestion otherwise is false and defamatory.'
Relationship Timeline Revealed
Sources familiar with the matter reveal that Zoph initially denied any romantic involvement with the junior colleague. However, as the relationship progressed, both Zoph and the woman eventually reported it to CEO Murati. The romance allegedly began during their shared tenure at OpenAI before Murati established Thinking Machines Lab.
Shortly after the relationship was disclosed, the woman left Thinking Machines Lab and returned to OpenAI. Zoph reportedly told Murati he felt manipulated into the relationship, took time off work, and returned to find himself repositioned in a new role with reduced executive responsibilities.
Wider Talent War Exposed
This public dispute has thrown a spotlight on the intense competition for artificial intelligence expertise currently gripping the technology sector. Meta and OpenAI have been engaged in an increasingly fierce battle over recent years, with industry rumors suggesting million-dollar signing bonuses are being offered to attract and retain top-tier candidates.
The talent shortage represents a significant market opportunity. CrewAI CEO João Moura told Forbes: 'The biggest AI talent shortage has created a $134.8 billion market opportunity. Many focus solely on technical roles, but overlook a crucial segment: Traditional approaches emphasize Deep ML engineering or PhDs.'
Industry-Wide Talent Crisis
A recent survey conducted by Forbes discovered that while 96 percent of technology leaders plan to increase their artificial intelligence investments in 2025, only 36 percent have successfully deployed AI solutions into production. According to the publication's analysis, this implementation gap stems primarily from talent shortages, with 85 percent of technology leaders reporting they have delayed critical AI initiatives due to insufficient skilled personnel.
Murati, who spent six years at OpenAI before founding her startup, initially recruited twenty former OpenAI employees to join Thinking Machines Lab. The departure of Zoph, Metz, and Schoenholz means the company now retains just three of its original six founders, following another employee's defection to Meta Platforms last year.
Immediate Aftermath
Murati announced Zoph's dismissal publicly on Wednesday via social media, stating simply: 'We have parted ways with Barret Zoph.' She simultaneously revealed that Soumith Chintala would assume the chief technology officer role, describing him as 'a brilliant and seasoned leader who has made important contributions to the AI field for over a decade.'
In a development highlighting the rapid movement of talent between competing firms, less than one hour after Murati's announcement, OpenAI's applications CEO Fidji Simo revealed on social media that the trio were returning to her company. 'Excited to welcome Barret Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Schoenholz back to OpenAI,' she wrote. 'This has been in the works for several weeks, and we’re thrilled to have them join the team.'
The Daily Mail has contacted Thinking Machines Lab, Barret Zoph, and OpenAI for further comment on this developing story.
