Mira Murati’s Inkling AI Model Review: Best Open-Source Model in the West
Thinking Machines Lab released Inkling, a 975-billion-parameter open-source model trained from scratch. It's the first major model from Mira Murati's lab since she left OpenAI in September 2024.
Intelligence analysis by Llama

Inkling is the first major model from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab since she left OpenAI in September 2024. It's the best open-source model trained from scratch by a Western lab.
Imagine you have a super powerful computer that can understand and generate human-like text. That's basically what Inkling is. It's a special kind of computer program that can learn and improve over time, and it's now available for anyone to use and improve.
Analysis
A $60B Vote of Confidence
The release of Inkling, a 975-billion-parameter open-source model trained from scratch, marks a significant milestone in the development of open-source AI models. This achievement is particularly notable in the Western lab scene, where Thinking Machines Lab has managed to surpass the capabilities of competing models. Inkling's release is a testament to the dedication and expertise of Mira Murati and her team, who have spent two years building something new after leaving OpenAI in September 2024.
Why Cursor?
Inkling's performance is impressive, with the model being live on OpenRouter at $1 per million input tokens and $4.05 per million output tokens. However, competing models deliver stronger raw benchmarks at comparable or lower cost. This raises questions about the true value of Inkling and its potential impact on the AI landscape.
The Road Ahead
The release of Inkling is a significant development in the world of open-source AI models. As the first major model from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab, it sets a new standard for Western labs in the field. However, the model's performance and pricing raise questions about its true value and potential impact on the AI landscape.
Key points
- Inkling is a 975-billion-parameter open-source model trained from scratch.
- It's the first major model from Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab since she left OpenAI in September 2024.
- Inkling is live on OpenRouter at $1 per million input tokens and $4.05 per million output tokens.
- Competing models deliver stronger raw benchmarks at comparable or lower cost.
The release of Inkling could lead to a new wave of innovation in the field of AI, with Western labs potentially surpassing the capabilities of their Asian counterparts. This could lead to new breakthroughs and advancements in the field, benefiting society as a whole.
The high cost of Inkling's output tokens could limit its adoption and impact, making it less competitive in the market. Additionally, the model's performance may not be as strong as competing models, which could undermine its value and potential impact.
Market signals
- XAU Escalation drives safe-haven demand for gold, per the article's framing of investor reaction.
AI-generated analysis of potential market relevance. Not financial advice.



