/AI20h ago

Thinking Machines Lab CEO Mira Murati proposes a "tandem bike" framework to replace passive human-in-the-loop AI development

The model requires active co-steering instead of passive approval.

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Jonathan Lachman
a16z
Original postJonathan Lachman#1907
a16z@a16z

Mira Murati says frontier AI should be built like a tandem bike:

"Having humans in the loop doesn't quite describe it because it sounds like a checkpoint where we're signing off something, and then you're good to go."

"It's more like creating systems that are not just autonomously advancing and leaving civilization behind, but are more like a tandem bike."

"When you're going up a hill, maybe whoever is stronger is pedaling harder. But both hands are on the wheel. That's quite important because that's a different system. It's a system designed for collaboration."

"It will increase the level of agency that people have, and also it will help us steer the research direction towards creating outputs that are more value-aligned."

@miramurati at Bloomberg Tech live with @emilychangtv

1:28 PM · Jun 5, 2026 · 183.9K Views
Sentiment

Positive users praise Mira Murati's tandem bike analogy for human-AI collaboration as a meaningful reframing of co-piloting and co-evolution, while negative users dismiss the idea as hollow or respond with personal insults about her.

Pos
48.6%
Neg
51.4%
38 comments with sentiment.
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VIEWS7.6KBOOKMARKS10LIKES76REPLIES8
vik@vikhyatk

not an expert on tandem bikes but i don’t think you’re supposed to put your hand on the wheel

a16z@a16z

Mira Murati says frontier AI should be built like a tandem bike:

"Having humans in the loop doesn't quite describe it because it sounds like a checkpoint where we're signing off something, and then you're good to go."

"It's more like creating systems that are not just autonomously advancing and leaving civilization behind, but are more like a tandem bike."

"When you're going up a hill, maybe whoever is stronger is pedaling harder. But both hands are on the wheel. That's quite important because that's a different system. It's a system designed for collaboration."

"It will increase the level of agency that people have, and also it will help us steer the research direction towards creating outputs that are more value-aligned."

@miramurati at Bloomberg Tech live with @emilychangtv

18hViews 7.6KLikes 76Bookmarks 10
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Justus August@justusfaugust

@a16z bikes don't have steering- "wheel[s]" and the handlebar is only held by the one sitting in the front.

18hViews 141Likes 1Bookmarks 1
George@_georgebaran

@a16z Doesn't sound very confident. I'm sensing insecurity around the issue of differentiation specifically.

And that was a terrible analogy, because you know what's faster than a tandem bike? ye.

13hViews 117Bookmarks 1
Yuriy Dybskiy@html5cat

@a16z maybe e-bike / pedal assist is a better analogy? you as a human pick the direction and AI assists in climbing the hills?

17hViews 376Likes 1
vik@vikhyatk

@ani1t_ my kinda tandem

13hViews 18Likes 2
Vagabond@vr_vuvee

@a16z Exactly, huge respect to @miramurati and everything she has done!!

18hViews 92
ASI@ani1t_

@vikhyatk he he he

15hViews 23Likes 1
Gladys Toper@GladysToper

@a16z I dont think Mira has been on a tandem bike in her life

18hViews 224Likes 2
RameshR@rezmeram

@a16z Folks ... that's how you speak when you having nothing to say but billions invested in your companies. Pay attention.

18hViews 174Likes 2
Julián@huliwood

@a16z A tandem bike for the mind

18hViews 247Likes 1
human@Mynameishuman99

@a16z Good night! Sweet dreams tonight.

20hViews 215Likes 1
Stephen Klein@stephenbklein

@a16z This is what people meant when they said voice was the next interface. It was never really about voice. It was about whether intelligence could show up in the room without making you wait for it.

Mira just proved it can. She is getting closer to Her

19hViews 578
Rick Duchin@DuchinRick

“Tandem bike” is the right frame for healthcare AI too. HabitCure reads 8 (24) wearable signals every 5 min, catches cardiac drift days before symptoms — but the alert goes to the human and their circle of care, not autonomous action. The model rides shotgun. The patient still steers. 6 patents filed on the detection layer. The pedaling-together model is the only one that earns clinical trust.

20hViews 572
hiva@h1vae

@vikhyatk If your tandem bike doesn't have a steering wheel are you even living?

17hViews 42Likes 2
Robert Nowell@RobertNowell1

@a16z love the vision but tandem bikes a strange metaphor here

basically no one rides tandem bikes except for novelty or like on a cute date

harder to use, not as practical, and arguably less safe than normal bicycles

not really what anyone is shooting for with frontier ai

17hViews 401
shakedown41@william37433186

@a16z nah just have ai do it all. it will be smarter and faster. she can go ride bikes

18hViews 318
GeekPark@GeekParkHQ

@a16z human in the loop always sounded like a compliance checkbox to me. tandem bike is at least honest about it. and it asks the thing nobody answers which is who grabs the wheel when the model is wrong but really really confident about it

13hViews 298
Raymond Rendalsvik@RRendalsvik

@a16z Lets see how our understanding and innovation grows in tandem around this

20hViews 292
Capac@CapacPartners

@a16z Presents well but totally hollow. Company is nonsense.

17hViews 212
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