Startup Struggles: Thinking Machines and the OpenAI Fallout

In this episode of the Newcomer Podcast, Eric and Madeline give a sendoff to the Humane and its AI Pin. The company was acquired by HP for its AI talent, in a darkly poetic ending for former Apple engineers who left to build a smart hardware startup. They debate the merits of voice AI technology as an interface and if it’s really time to move away from screens. 

They break down all of OpenAI’s alumni startups, starting with Mira Murati’s newly announced Thinking Machine Labs. Other former founders of OpenAI like Ilya Suskever and Elon Musk are in talks to raise billions for their respective AI startups. They close with a breakdown of Saronic and Together AI’s latest funding rounds.

00:19 - Humane’s Semi-Soft Landing to HP

13:43 - Mira Murati Unveils Thinking Machines Lab and we have questions

17:02 -  The new SV flex - Small teams

19:02 - Grok’s big cluster and Elon jumps the shark

24:14 - Saronic and Together AI Raise Big Series C Rounds