🤩Mira Murati’s AI Comeback

Today we will discuss: 

• A new AI contender—Former OpenAI CTO launches Thinking Machines Lab, aiming for more adaptable and capable AI systems

• Big tech vs. EU rules—A growing fight over AI and market power

• In other AI news today—Meta announces its first generative AI dev conference, OpenAI considers special board voting rights, Sutskever’s startup raises at a $30B+ valuation, and Humane shuts down AI Pin, sells assets to HP for $116M

• Saved the best for last—9 must-try AI tools

Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati launches new AI startup with top talent

Key Points 

• Thinking Machines Lab, led by ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, aims to build more adaptable and capable AI systems.

• Murati has recruited 29 top AI researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Character AI to lead the project.

🗞️Context of the news - After her sudden exit from OpenAI last fall, former CTO Mira Murati stayed out of the spotlight. Now, she’s finally revealing what she’s been working on—an AI startup with big ambitions.

☕News - Murati’s new venture, Thinking Machines Lab, officially emerged from stealth today. The company’s goal is to build AI tools that are more adaptable to individual needs and to create systems that are more understandable, customizable, and capable than what’s currently available.

👨‍💻What's their plan? While the details are still under wraps, the company is focused on developing multimodal AI systems—models that can collaborate with humans across different fields and adapt to varying levels of expertise.

AI safety is also a key focus. The company plans to prevent misuse of its models, share best practices with the industry, and regularly publish technical research and code to maintain transparency.

🤓The AI dream team? For months, there’s been speculation about Murati recruiting top AI talent—and now the lineup is official. She’s leading the company as CEO, joined by John Schulman (OpenAI co-founder) as chief scientist and Barret Zoph (former OpenAI research lead) as CTO. In total, 29 employees from OpenAI, Character AI, and Google DeepMind have joined the team, signaling that this new player in AI is one to watch.

Read the full story here. 

Big tech gears up to challenge EU regulations, backed by new US administration

Key Points 

• Meta and other tech giants are lobbying to weaken the EU’s AI Act, seeing new support from Washington.

• Vice President JD Vance criticized EU tech regulations, signaling a shift in US policy favoring Silicon Valley.

♨️News – Big Tech companies are becoming more confident in challenging EU regulations, seeing new support from the Trump administration as a way to push back against AI and market dominance rules.  

Meta has taken the lead in opposing the EU’s AI Act, aiming to weaken its implementation, according to sources familiar with its strategy. The social media giant, which felt unsupported by the Biden administration, now believes the US government will back its stance and increase pressure on Brussels.  

🥸What's more? Vice President JD Vance, during a recent Europe trip, criticized the EU’s tech regulations as “onerous international” rules and pushed for AI policies that do not “strangle” innovation.  

Tech lobbyists are also working to curb enforcement of the Digital Markets Act, which restricts market power abuse by major online platforms and imposes hefty fines for violations.  

🧐What says the EU? Despite US pressure, the EU’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen reaffirmed that Europe remains committed to enforcing its rules. However, earlier this month, the European Commission withdrew its AI Liability Directive, which would have held tech companies accountable for AI-related harm. Some see this as a sign that EU regulations could become a bargaining chip in broader trade and security discussions with the US.  

🤨What to expect next – The next battleground will be the AI code of practice, expected in April, which will detail how companies must comply with the AI Act’s rules on systemic risks. Meta has already refused to sign the voluntary code, with its top lobbyist Joel Kaplan calling it “unworkable and technically unfeasible.” He also warned that without US-EU cooperation, China could take the lead in AI development.

Read the full story here.