Mira Murati said 'there's not going to be a more important technology that we will build than generative AI'. Bloomberg
Mira Murati said 'there's not going to be a more important technology that we will build than generative AI'. Bloomberg
Mira Murati said 'there's not going to be a more important technology that we will build than generative AI'. Bloomberg
Mira Murati said 'there's not going to be a more important technology that we will build than generative AI'. Bloomberg

Who is Mira Murati, the new OpenAI boss replacing Sam Altman?


Alvin R Cabral
  • English
  • Arabic

Sam Altman, who led OpenAI's sensational rise thanks to ChatGPT, is out. In his place, on an interim basis, is a relatively low-profile figure – Mira Murati.

Ms Murati, who spent several years in the background while Mr Altman fronted the fast-rising company, has been thrust into the spotlight at a time when the generative artificial intelligence race continues to heat up.

Born in Albania, she won a high school scholarship in Canada before she attended Dartmouth College, where she graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2012.

In a recent interview, Ms Murati said that she was very interested and mathematics and physics, both of which she would pursue “relentlessly”.

Over time, she said her interest in these fields would grow from the theoretical space to “actually building things”.

Her career would take off in 2013 after she joined Elon Musk's Tesla, where she helped in the development of the dual-motor Model S, the Model X Sport Utility Vehicle and Autopilot, the company's AI-powered driving software.

After a three-year stint at Tesla, she joined Leap Motion, a start-up that developed a computer input device that supports hand and finger motions. The company was acquired by Ultraleap in 2019.

In 2018, Ms Murati joined OpenAI. She said she was drawn to the company because she believed “there's not going to be a more important technology that we will build than [generative AI]”.

Throughout her OpenAI career, she has played a crucial role in the development and distribution of ChatGPT and Dall-E, the text-to-image models developed by the company.

She has been described as having played a “critical role” in OpenAI's “evolution into a global AI leader” owing to her “unique skill set”, the company said after announcing its “leadership transition”.

“Given her long tenure and close engagement with all aspects of the company, including her experience in AI governance and policy, the board believes she is uniquely qualified for the role and anticipates a seamless transition while it conducts a formal search for a permanent CEO,” OpenAI said.

She was named in the Time 100 Next list for 2023, in which Microsoft chairman and chief executive Satya Nadella described her as having had a “very impressive career as a leader in the technology industry”.

Mr Nadella lauded her “dedication to democratising AI, her ability to bring together diverse teams and the fearlessness with which she tackles technical challenges”, noting that she has helped build the company from a start-up to one of the most important AI companies in the world.

“As a prominent leader in one of the fastest-growing industries, she has a demonstrated ability to assemble teams with technical expertise, commercial acumen and a deep appreciation for the importance of mission,” he said.

Mr Nadella doubled down on that following Mr Altman's being removed, saying Microsoft has a “long-term agreement with OpenAI with full access to everything we need to deliver on our innovation agenda and an exciting product road map, and remain committed to our partnership, and to Mira and the team”.

Ms Murati is an advocate of regulating AI, batting for the involvement of governments, regulators and other industry players to shape the future of the technology that, in some aspects, has become polarising.

“There is a tonne of work that needs to happen here,” she said.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
While you're here
Match info

Premier League

Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)

Karwaan

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Rating: 4/5

ICC men's cricketer of the year

2004 - Rahul Dravid (IND) ; 2005 - Jacques Kallis (SA) and Andrew Flintoff (ENG); 2006 - Ricky Ponting (AUS); 2007 - Ricky Ponting; 2008 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI); 2009 - Mitchell Johnson (AUS); 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar (IND); 2011 - Jonathan Trott (ENG); 2012 - Kumar Sangakkara (SL); 2013 - Michael Clarke (AUS); 2014 - Mitchell Johnson; 2015 - Steve Smith (AUS); 2016 - Ravichandran Ashwin (IND); 2017 - Virat Kohli (IND); 2018 - Virat Kohli; 2019 - Ben Stokes (ENG); 2021 - Shaheen Afridi

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity

Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: November 18, 2023, 7:31 AM`