Lilian Weng leaves Thinking Machines, rejoins OpenAI — SkimNews
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- Lilian Weng stepped down from Thinking Machines, writing in a Slack message shared on X that startup pace pushed her "beyond what my health can sustain physically"
- OpenAI told TechCrunch that Weng would rejoin the company, where she previously served as VP of AI Safety Research
- Weng's new role will lead a top-level team focused on accelerating OpenAI's internal research, supporting cross-research work on recursive self-improvement — a process that would allow an AI system to iterate on itself
- Mira Murati, Thinking Machines co-founder and former OpenAI CTO, replied on X: "We'll miss you, it's been wonderful building Thinky together. I'm glad that you're putting your health first"
- The article flags a potential contradiction: Weng cited health strain from a fast-paced startup, yet is rejoining one of the most demanding AI labs — though she likely faces less direct pressure as a non-co-founder
Why it matters: Her return to OpenAI to lead recursive self-improvement research is a high-profile talent move during fierce AI lab competition. The article itself flags a tension: Weng left a startup citing health toll, then rejoins a demanding AI lab — though likely facing less pressure as a non-co-founder.
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