Mira Moratti, former chief technology officer at OpenAI, is raising capital from venture capitalists for a new AI startup, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The new company will develop artificial intelligence products based on its own models, said one of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss private matters. It is not clear whether Moratti will take over as CEO of the new company.
A representative for Moratti declined to comment.
While the talks are still in their early stages, Moratti's new project could bring in more than $100 million given its reputation and the capital needed to develop its own models, one of the sources said, noting that the numbers have not yet been finalized.
Barrett Zoff, a prominent researcher who left OpenAI on the same day as Moratti in late September, could also take a stake in the new company, the sources added. Zoff did not respond to requests for comment.
The Information previously reported that Zoph is planning a new startup and that Moratti has hired employees from OpenAI for her new company.
Moratti spent more than six years at OpenAI heading up projects like ChatGPT and DALL-E. She was a key figure in OpenAI's multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft, the company's largest backer.
Moratti's rapid rise at OpenAI has cemented her name as one of the most prominent leaders in the emerging field of artificial intelligence.
Moratti joined OpenAI in June 2018 and was promoted to CTO in May 2022, according to her LinkedIn profile. Before OpenAI, she worked at augmented reality startup Leap Motion and Tesla.
She has appeared frequently alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as the public face of the maker of ChatGPT. When OpenAI presented its GPT-4o model, capable of real-world voice conversations, in May, Moratti led the presentation.
Her surprise resignation in late September was the latest high-profile departure at the ChatGPT maker as the company undergoes major changes to its leadership structure, including eliminating the control of the nonprofit board. Moratti, who served briefly as interim CEO last year when the nonprofit's board ousted Altman, cited her desire for personal exploration as a reason for stepping down.
Moratti joins a growing list of former OpenAI executives who have founded startups, including competitors like Anthropic and Safe Superintelligence.
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