The co-founder of a prominent Silicon Valley artificial intelligence startup has been dismissed from his position following the emergence of a relationship with a junior colleague and subsequent performance concerns raised by the company's chief executive.
Termination at Thinking Machines Lab
Barret Zoph, who served as Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab, was fired by CEO Mira Murati last week according to a detailed report. The AI company, which has achieved a remarkable valuation of approximately $12 billion, made the decision following a contentious meeting where Zoph and two other employees advocated for him to gain increased decision-making authority within the organisation.
Conflicting Accounts of Dismissal
Murati responded to Zoph's request by questioning why he hadn't been fulfilling his responsibilities adequately in recent months. Just two days after this exchange, Zoph was terminated from his position. However, Zoph has presented a contrasting narrative to the publication, asserting that he was dismissed "only after it learned I would be leaving the company" and maintaining that the organisation never formally cited performance issues or unethical conduct as grounds for his termination.
"At no time did Thinking Machines Lab 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," Zoph stated emphatically.
Relationship with Junior Colleague
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that Murati had grown concerned about Zoph's productivity in recent months after discovering last summer that he was involved in a relationship with a junior colleague who did not report to him within the company's structure. Initially, Zoph denied the relationship existed, but both parties later confirmed its occurrence according to the report.
The woman involved, whose identity remains undisclosed, reportedly left Thinking Machines Lab and returned to OpenAI, where the relationship is said to have originally developed. Zoph informed his superior that he felt manipulated into the relationship by the woman, subsequently taking a break from his professional duties.
Role Transition and Aftermath
Upon returning to work in July, Zoph assumed a new position as a technical contributor with reduced responsibilities compared to his previous executive role. He explained that such transitions from management to individual contributor work represent a common career path within the technology sector.
Zoph detailed that he worked in this capacity for approximately two months, participating in several projects before taking additional time off during the winter period due to personal circumstances including illness and a death in his family.
Public Announcements and New Position
On the same day that Murati publicly announced Zoph's departure from Thinking Machines Lab, OpenAI's CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, revealed that the company was "thrilled" to welcome Zoph back to their organisation, where he had previously been employed. This announcement came on January 14, marking a swift transition for the former co-founder.
Internally, Murati communicated to employees that issues existed concerning both Zoph's performance and conduct, though the specific details of these concerns were not elaborated upon in the public reporting. The Independent has reached out to Thinking Machines Lab, Zoph, and OpenAI for further comment regarding these developments.
