OpenAI has hired the co-founder of Twitter challenger Pebble

Gabor Cselle, a notable figure in the tech startup scene, recently joined OpenAI to work on a confidential project, as announced via his post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Cselle has been a part of OpenAI since October, although this recent reveal marks the first public mention of his role. He expressed eagerness to share more details in the future, noting that he is already learning significantly in his new position.

Cselle has a rich background in entrepreneurship, having previously co-founded and led multiple startups. His first venture, reMail, was a Y Combinator-backed mobile email application that he sold to Google. Following this success, he started Namo Media, a native advertising platform that was acquired by Twitter prior to its rebranding as X by Elon Musk.

Before his entrepreneurial endeavors, Cselle served as a group product manager at Twitter, where he focused on key areas such as the home timeline and user onboarding experiences. After leaving Twitter in 2016, he transitioned to Google, where he held the position of director at Area 120, Google’s incubator for new projects.

In 2022, Cselle co-founded Pebble (formerly T2) alongside Michael Greer, the former head of engineering at Discord. Pebble was designed with a focus on safety and moderation, attracting a committed user base and securing investments from notable figures, including Rich Miner, co-founder of Android. However, the platform struggled with growth issues, leading to its eventual shutdown in October. In a twist, Pebble re-emerged as a dedicated instance on the social network Mastodon the following month.

Earlier this year, Cselle joined the South Park Commons accelerator, where he embarked on projects in the generative AI space, developing prototypes that included creative concepts reminiscent of the popular HQ Trivia game.

Cselle’s recruitment by OpenAI coincides with a significant move by rival company Anthropic, which just recently onboarded Alex Rodrigues, founder of the autonomous trucking startup Embark. Rodrigues oversaw Embark’s transition through a SPAC merger in 2021 and its eventual acquisition by Applied Intuition in 2023. He aims to contribute to AI safety research at Anthropic.

In summary, Gabor Cselle’s move to OpenAI signals a continued trend of high-profile talent crossing into the AI landscape, driven by the burgeoning opportunities in generative AI and the need for innovative safety measures in AI development. His unique blend of experience from startups, major tech companies, and accelerator programs positions him to contribute effectively to OpenAI’s secretive projects as the organization navigates the rapidly evolving AI field.