Thinking Machines Co-Founder Lilian Weng Leaves Over Health, Rejoins OpenAI for Recursive Self-Improvement Role

Lilian Weng, co-founder of the $9 billion-valued Thinking Machines Lab, has left the startup and rejoined OpenAI. Weng said startup stress had pushed her beyond what her health could sustain during the sprint to ship Inkling. OpenAI confirmed she will lead a top-level team supporting cross-research work on recursive self-improvement. She previously served as VP of AI Safety Research there.