Liam Fedus, OpenAI’s VP of research for post-training, has announced his departure to establish a materials science AI startup. He aims to leverage his physics background to apply AI in scientific exploration. Fedus noted OpenAI’s intent to invest and collaborate with his new venture, recognizing the strategic importance of AI in science. His startup will compete against major players like Google DeepMind and Microsoft, which have recently unveiled AI tools for material discovery. Despite skepticism about current AI capabilities in novel scientific breakthroughs, Fedus remains optimistic.