ServiceNow backs Thinking Machines Lab's $2 billion round - a first take on what it could mean for the vendor's AI ambitions

News broke this week that Thinking Machines Lab, a start-up founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has closed a $2 billion seed round at a $12 billion valuation. While the numbers are eye-watering (but perhaps unsurprising given the AI hype in the market), it was ServiceNow’s involvement that grabbed my particular attention - what might the vendor see in a start-up that has yet to release any products?

Details about ServiceNow's specific investment amount and strategic intentions remain scarce. What we do know is that the company's participation comes at a time when it positions itself as "the AI operating system for the enterprise" - a strategy that CEO Bill McDermott has been articulating with increasing boldness in recent months.

To understand why ServiceNow would make such a significant bet, it's worth examining what Murati brings to the table. The Albanian-American executive isn’t known just for ...