Welcome to Wednesday’s Newsletter

In today’s scoop 🍨 

• 🏟️ Thinking Machines Lab Enters the Arena 

• 🪦 RIP Humane AI Pin

• 💰 $1B Raised, $30B Valuation, No Product?

• 🔧 3 Trending AI Tools

🏟️ Thinking Machines Lab Enters the Arena 

Mira Murati, the former OpenAI CTO and one-time interim CEO, has officially stepped into the AI startup scene with her new venture: Thinking Machines Lab. And no, this isn’t just another ChatGPT wannabe. Murati’s mission? To make AI more adaptable, more accessible, and—importantly—more understandable.

🌟 What’s Thinking Machines Lab All About?

Instead of churning out another chatbot, Murati and her team are focusing on three key pillars:

• 🔄 Customizable AI – They want AI to actually work for individual needs, rather than forcing users into one-size-fits-all solutions.

• 💪 Stronger Foundations – Expect cutting-edge research aimed at making AI models smarter, more collaborative, and better suited for complex tasks.

• 💻 AI for Science & Programming – Their goal is to push AI forward in domains that drive innovation, from research labs to coding environments.

🌐 The Who’s Who of Thinking Machines Lab

Murati isn't doing this solo—she’s recruited some serious talent. Joining her:

• John Schulman (former OpenAI co-founder) as Chief Scientist

• Barret Zoph (ex-Chief Research Officer at OpenAI) as CTO

• A mix of top researchers from OpenAI, DeepMind, Google, and even Character AI

The company is also in full hiring mode, scooping up machine learning scientists and engineers to build AI that truly integrates with human expertise.

🚫 No More AI Black Boxes

One of Murati’s biggest gripes? AI knowledge being locked up in a few elite labs. Thinking Machines Lab aims to change that by publishing research, sharing code, and contributing to AI safety discussions. In other words, transparency is the name of the game.

🔑 Takeaway

Murati left OpenAI to explore the AI frontier on her own terms, and it looks like Thinking Machines Lab is her way of rethinking the space. While details are still under wraps, one thing’s clear: this isn’t just another AI startup—it’s an attempt to reshape how we interact with and understand artificial intelligence.

💡 Will Thinking Machines Lab shake up the AI landscape or fade into the sea of startups? Let’s watch this space.

🪦 RIP Humane AI Pin

Humane’s AI Pin has officially met its end, less than a year after launch. The $499 gadget, once hyped as a screenless smartphone alternative, is now an expensive piece of e-waste. And if you thought Humane was going to at least support its early adopters, think again—AI Pin owners have until February 28 to say their goodbyes before their devices become totally useless.

📅 The Shortest Tech Fairy Tale Ever

It all started with big promises. Founded by ex-Apple employees, Humane raised over $230 million to create the AI Pin, a voice-controlled, screen-free wearable that projected info onto your hand. Sounds cool in theory, but in reality? Not so much.

• ⭐ Reviews were brutal. MKBHD called it “the worst product I’ve ever reviewed.”

• 👀 Returns outpaced sales within months.

• 🔥 Charging case recall due to fire risk (never a good sign).

• 👇 Price drop from $699 to $499 in October—too little, too late.

🔄 So, What Now?

Humane’s assets have been scooped up by HP for $116 million—far less than the $1 billion they reportedly wanted. HP is taking the software and team but leaving the AI Pin hardware in the dust. The engineers will form a new division at HP called HP IQ, focused on AI innovation. Meanwhile, existing AI Pin users get...nothing.

🛠️ What Should AI Pin Owners Do?

• 💾 Download any stored photos or data immediately.

• 👋 Say farewell to calling, messaging, and AI responses.

• ♻️ If disposing of the device, do so via e-waste recycling.

• 💳 If you bought it within the last 90 days, request a refund by Feb 27.

🔑 Takeaway

Humane’s AI Pin was a bold idea that flopped spectacularly. It turns out people don’t want to replace their smartphones with an overpriced lapel pin that barely functions. But hey, at least HP saw some value in the wreckage.

Another one bites the dust in the AI hardware graveyard.

So, who's next?

💰 $1B Raised, $30B Valuation, No Product?

Ilya Sutskever is back, and this time, he's playing the AI game on his own terms. The former OpenAI co-founder and chief scientist has been quietly building his own AI startup, Safe Superintelligence (SSI), and the money is rolling in—big time. SSI is reportedly closing in on a $1 billion fundraising round, pushing its valuation past $30 billion.

That’s right. A company with no product, no revenue, and no plans to commercialize AI anytime soon is now one of the most valuable private tech companies in the world. Welcome to the AI gold rush.

💼 The Key Players & Investors

• SSI was founded by Sutskever, along with ex-OpenAI researcher Daniel Levy and former Apple AI lead Daniel Gross.

• Greenoaks Capital Partners is leading the latest investment, allegedly pledging $500 million of the total raise.

• Other backers include Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and DST Global.

🔎 What’s the Big Idea?

Sutskever isn’t aiming for another ChatGPT. Instead, SSI is focused on building a "safe superintelligence"—a super-powerful AI system developed with safety as the top priority. The company has been tight-lipped on specifics, but their official stance is clear:

• No distractions from product cycles or commercial pressure.

• No plans to sell AI products in the near future.

• One singular focus: achieve safe AI before anyone else does.

📈 The Valuation Jump

• September 2024: SSI was valued at $5 billion after raising $1 billion.

• February 2025: Now looking at a $30 billion+ valuation, with another billion in funding.

• For context, OpenAI sits at $340 billion, and Perplexity, recently closed a funding round at $9 billion.

💡 Why It Matters

The AI industry is moving at breakneck speed, and Sutskever’s approach is both bold and unconventional. While OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic race to deploy AI products, SSI is choosing to go deep instead of wide—betting that if they get safety right, the money (and power) will follow.

Will it work? Can a company with no immediate revenue plans sustain its sky-high valuation? Investors seem to think so. But in an AI landscape where speed often trumps caution, SSI’s "slow and safe" approach will be a fascinating experiment to watch.

🔧3 Trending AI Tools

• 📚 Base Chat - AI chatbot that delivers instant, source-backed answers from your company’s knowledge base in Google Drive, Notion, Jira, Confluence, and more, ensuring up-to-date responses.

• 🤝 Andsend - A relationship agent that helps you grow your network by spotting opportunities, suggesting timely messages, and maintaining authentic connections at scale.

• 💬 Tanka - AI messenger with long-term memory that integrates with WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, and Gmail, providing smart replies, to-dos, and insights as your team’s second brain.

📩 That’s it for today!

Thanks for reading! Got any feedback or tried something wild with AI lately? Hit reply and let us know the craziest thing you’ve done with it—we’d love to hear!

And if you know someone who’s into AI, pass this along and help grow the community! 🚀

Until tomorrow—stay curious! 👋