AI researcher Lilian Weng is rejoining OpenAI to lead a team on "recursive self-improvement" just days after leaving Thinking Machines Lab, the startup she co-founded. Weng cited health concerns, stating the startup's pace and workload were unsustainable. Her departure highlights an exodus from Thinking Machines, where only two of six original co-founders remain.
Weng's return to OpenAI
- ▪At OpenAI, Weng will lead a team focused on accelerating internal research to achieve "recursive self-improvement."
- ▪Weng previously worked at OpenAI from 2018 to late 2024, where she helped develop the GPT-4 model and led Safety Systems work
- ▪Lilian Weng, a co-founder of Thinking Machines Lab, is rejoining OpenAI
Departure from Thinking Machines
- ▪Weng announced she was leaving Thinking Machines Lab during the week of July 27, 2026, citing health concerns
- ▪Weng stated the "consistent stress and workload" at the startup had pushed her "beyond what my health can sustain physically."
- ▪Mira Murati, CEO of Thinking Machines, publicly supported Weng's decision to prioritize her health
- ▪Weng said a "scoped role in a more predictable place, and not as a cofounder" would be a better fit for her
Recursive self-improvement focus
- ▪Recursive self-improvement is a process where AI models can train and improve their successors
- ▪At OpenAI, Weng will lead a team focused on accelerating internal research to achieve "recursive self-improvement."
Thinking Machines leadership exodus
- ▪Of the six original co-founders of Thinking Machines Lab, only CEO Mira Murati and chief scientist John Schulman remain
- ▪Former co-founders Barret Zoph and Luke Metz left for OpenAI, while Andrew Tulloch departed for Meta
- ▪Lilian Weng is one of several co-founders to leave Thinking Machines Lab since its launch
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