Who Is Mira Murati, The 34-Year-Old Engineer Now Leading OpenAI

Promoted to the role of Chief Technology Officer in May 2022, Mira Murati, 34, has been instrumental in steering OpenAI's strategy to test its tools publicly. She has effectively operated as the company's head of operations, according to current and former employees. She ensured timely development of ChatGPT versions by the engineering team, managed OpenAI's relationship with Microsoft, an investor and partner deploying its technology, and played a pivotal role in shaping the company's artificial intelligence policy in Washington and Europe. While advancements in AI research, particularly in understanding natural language processing and computer vision, have been ongoing for a decade, much of the breakthroughs were confined within the tech giants' secretive projects.

"She has a demonstrated ability to assemble teams with technical expertise, commercial acumen and a deep appreciation for the importance of mission," Satya Nadella, Microsoft's CEO, wrote in a piece about her for Time magazine. "As a result, Mira has helped build some of the most exciting AI technologies we've ever seen."

OpenAI, under Mira Murati's leadership, translates academic research into practical products, making AI more accessible. This approach, combined with a team of top-notch academics, has sparked widespread public interest in AI.   

Now, let us know a bit more about Mira Murati:

• Mira Murati, was born in Albania and raised in Canada. She showcased her mechanical engineering skills by building a hybrid race car during her time at Dartmouth College. According to reports, her parents are of Indian-origin.
• She has worked in aerospace, automotive, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR). After this, Ms Murati joined Elon Musk's Tesla as a senior product manager. She played a key role in the development of the Model X. 
• Ms Murati was also associated with a VR company, Leap Motion, where she focused on implementing applications of artificial intelligence in practical, real-world scenarios. 
• She is trilingual, speaking Italian, Albanian, and English. 
• Ms Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 in the capacity of supercomputing strategy and managing research teams. She was also part of the leadership team and used to help in the implementation of the decisions made by the team.
• Last year, Mr Murati was given the responsibility to look after the distribution of ChatGPT.