AI researcher and Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Andrew Tulloch is joining Meta, according to The Wall Street Journal. Tulloch announced his departure from the AI startup, which is led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, in a message to employees on Friday.
A spokesperson for Thinking Machines Lab confirmed Tulloch’s exit to the WSJ. The spokesperson stated that Tulloch “has decided to pursue a different path for personal reasons.” His move follows earlier recruitment efforts by Meta that targeted both the startup and its personnel.
A previous WSJ report from August detailed that Mark Zuckerberg’s AI recruiting initiatives included an unsuccessful offer to acquire Thinking Machines Lab. After the failed bid, Zuckerberg reportedly attempted to hire Tulloch with a compensation package potentially worth as much as $1.5 billion over a minimum of six years.
In response to the August report, a Meta spokesperson characterized the WSJ’s description of the compensation offer as “inaccurate and ridiculous.” Tulloch’s career history includes previous roles at OpenAI and at Facebook’s AI Research Group, a division within Meta.
