Andrew Tulloch is one of the leading figures in artificial intelligence. The researcher spent 11 years at Meta, where he worked on advanced systems before moving to OpenAI. Then, in February of this year, he co-founded Thinking Machines Lab with Mira Murati, who previously served as chief technology officer at OpenAI. Their startup quickly gained momentum—it secured $2 billion in funding and assembled a team of approximately 30 people. Tulloch is now leaving the project and returning to Meta, as he confirmed in an internal message to employees. He stated that personal matters were the reason.
At Thinking Machines Lab, Tulloch focused on developing scalable infrastructure for artificial intelligence and tools for high-performance machine learning. His work helped the startup launch its first product, attracting attention across the industry. Nevertheless, he decided to return to Meta, where he previously worked on the artificial intelligence research team.
Details of the Return to Meta
Meta had already expressed interest in Tulloch during the summer. According to reports, it offered him a compensation package worth up to $1.5 billion over six years, equivalent to roughly 34.5 billion Czech korunas. The package included stock and other incentives, but Meta itself denied these figures and described them as inaccurate. Tulloch initially rejected the offer, making his current move even more interesting. His departure comes as Thinking Machines Lab is completing its first projects, leaving behind a team he helped build from the ground up.
This move fits into Meta's broader plan to reorganize its artificial intelligence teams under a division called Superintelligence Lab. The company plans to invest up to $72 billion in infrastructure this year. Meta has already hired more than 50 researchers, engineers, and other artificial intelligence specialists to strengthen its position in the competition with companies such as OpenAI and Google.
Impact on Thinking Machines Lab and Meta
Thinking Machines Lab, founded by Mira Murati and Andrew Tulloch, focuses on creating advanced artificial intelligence systems. The startup grew rapidly thanks to strong funding and a talented team, but Tulloch's departure could affect its future direction. He confirmed his departure on Friday, according to people familiar with the matter, and the startup officially acknowledged it on Saturday.
For Meta, Tulloch is a valuable addition. His experience from his previous roles at Meta and OpenAI, where he contributed to the development of key technologies, could accelerate projects at Superintelligence Lab. Under Mark Zuckerberg's leadership, Meta is actively recruiting talent from smaller startups to strengthen its position in artificial intelligence. This move underscores how intense the competition for top experts is in this rapidly developing field.
The entire situation is attracting attention because Tulloch left shortly after Thinking Machines Lab launched its first product. Meanwhile, Meta continues to make internal changes that are not without difficulties, but with new talent and massive investments in computing power, its upcoming artificial intelligence models are expected to be closely watched.
Sources: wsj.com and economictimes.indiatimes.com
