Summary of "Unveiling Distributed AI" Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience of AI

Release Date: July 19, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "Unveiling Distributed AI," The Joe Rogan Experience of AI dives deep into the recent developments surrounding Miriam Moratti and her ambitious AI startup, Thinking Machine Labs, popularly known on Twitter as Thinky. The host sets the stage by highlighting Thinky's impressive achievements, including a substantial $2 billion funding round and a pre-launch valuation of $12 billion.

Funding and Valuation

The episode opens with a discussion about Miriam Moratti's remarkable success in securing funding for Thinky. The host emphasizes the significance of the $2 billion raised, noting that it positions Thinky as one of the top-funded AI startups to date. This funding surge increases the company's valuation from an initial $10 billion to a staggering $12 billion even before the official launch of their product.

[00:00] Host: "This is really impressive. They've revealed a little bit about what they're actually going to be doing with the money, who they got the money from. We're going to break all of that down in the podcast today."

Founder’s Background and Credibility

Miriam Moratti’s background is a focal point of the discussion. The host underscores her credibility by detailing her tenure at OpenAI, where she was a founding team member and briefly served as interim CEO. Her role as CTO at OpenAI, overseeing significant projects like the image generator, showcases her expertise and leadership in the AI domain.

[09:20] Host: "Miriam Moratti, of course, is famous for coming from OpenAI. She's one of the founding team members. [...] She was the interim CEO for, I think, one or two days at OpenAI."

Thinky's Vision and Product Strategy

Thinky's mission, as articulated by Moratti, revolves around advancing collaborative general intelligence. The startup aims to develop multimodal AI systems that seamlessly integrate with natural human interactions, encompassing conversation, sight, and collaborative processes.

[12:45] Host: "Thinking Machine Lab exists to empower humanity through advancing collaborative general intelligence. We're building multimodal AI that works with how you naturally interact with the world through, through conversation, through sight, through the messy way we collaborate."

The host speculates that Thinky’s focus on "collaborative" AI implies a tool designed for team or enterprise use, enabling multiple users to interact and collaborate within a single AI thread.

Funding Sources and Strategic Partnerships

The substantial funding Thinky received was spearheaded by prominent investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (16Z), renowned as America's leading venture capital firm. Additional participation came from tech giants like Nvidia, which aligns with their investment in AI infrastructure, alongside ServiceNow, Cisco, AMD, and Jane Street.

[22:30] Host: "They said, 'we have the partners in place, they have the money, they're going to be training their own models.' [...] They had participation from Nvidia who always just puts in money for any new AI startup that looks serious because they know they're going to have to buy Nvidia GPUs."

Product Launch and Open Source Commitment

Thinky is on the cusp of launching its first product, expected within the next few months. The product promises a significant open-source component, aiming to benefit researchers and startups engaged in developing custom AI models. Additionally, Thinky plans to share its scientific advancements to aid the research community in understanding frontier AI systems.

[16:10] Host: "They said, 'we're excited that in the next couple months we'll be able to share our first product which will include a significant open source component and be useful for researchers and startups developing custom models.'"

Community and Industry Response

The host reflects on the broader implications of Thinky's funding and potential impact on the AI landscape. He notes the skepticism surrounding large seed rounds in Silicon Valley but counters it with confidence in Thinky's solid foundation and credible leadership.

[35:50] Host: "This is, I think, one of the biggest seed rounds that we've ever seen in Silicon Valley. A billion or $2 billion for their seed round. [...] She has a really incredible team that she's been able to pull together."

Community reactions on platforms like Twitter (referred to as X) are briefly touched upon, displaying a mix of humor and anticipation regarding Thinky’s future endeavors.

[30:00] Host: "The responses on X have been kind of funny. Dylan Patel said, 'please honor the nickname everyone uses. Thinky.' Someone said, 'due to inflation, $1 million seed rounds are now $1 billion.'"

Competitive Landscape and Future Prospects

The host discusses the competitive nature of the AI industry, citing examples like XAI's rapid development and market entry with their model, Grok. He highlights the potential for Thinky to introduce significant innovations that could challenge established players like OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepMind.

[40:10] Host: "But I think it's possible to do, to leapfrog the entire industry in like one specific domain. [...] we'll see more and more in the, in the future what this company is able to do and if Thinking Machine Labs is able to come up with something impressive after being out for just a year."

Conclusion and Future Updates

Wrapping up, the host expresses excitement about Thinky's trajectory and promises to keep the audience updated on their progress. He also promotes his own startup, AI Box, a beta playground platform that allows users to experiment with various AI models, reflecting the episode's theme of exploring cutting-edge AI technologies.

[45:30] Host: "We'll see what she's making. Some people are saying based off of the team they have and the amount of money that she's actually been able to raise, this is, you know, it's a 'legitimate threat to leading AI models.' [...] Whenever her model launches, if it has, you know, the ability to have API access, we will be posting this onto AI Box, my own platform."

Key Takeaways

• Thinky's Massive Funding: Secured $2 billion with a $12 billion valuation pre-product launch.
• Miriam Moratti’s Leadership: Leveraging her extensive experience from OpenAI to drive Thinky's vision.
• Collaborative AI Focus: Development of multimodal AI tools aimed at enhancing team collaboration.
• Open Source Commitment: Plans to release open-source components and share scientific breakthroughs.
• Strong Investor Backing: Supported by top-tier investors and strategic partnerships with tech giants.
• Competitive Edge: Positioned to potentially challenge leading AI entities with innovative solutions.
• Community Engagement: Active interest and anticipation within the AI community and beyond.

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of Thinky's emergence as a formidable player in the AI industry, underscored by substantial funding, visionary leadership, and a commitment to collaborative and open-source AI development. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Thinky's progress will be pivotal to watch.