Sam Altman’s New Startup to Challenge Neuralink
▼ Summary
– OpenAI and Sam Altman are backing Merge Labs, a company competing with Elon Musk’s Neuralink in developing brain-computer interfaces.
– Merge Labs is raising funds at an $850 million valuation, with OpenAI’s ventures team contributing much of the capital.
– Altman will cofound Merge Labs but not take a day-to-day role, collaborating with Alex Blania from the World project.
– The company aims to leverage AI advancements to create more effective brain-computer interfaces, aligning with Silicon Valley’s concept of “the merge.”
– Altman has previously predicted high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces could emerge by 2025, citing recent technological progress.
Sam Altman is backing a groundbreaking startup poised to rival Elon Musk’s Neuralink in the race to merge human brains with computers. The new venture, Merge Labs, is currently securing funding at an $850 million valuation, with significant support expected from OpenAI’s investment arm. Sources familiar with the matter reveal that Altman is actively involved in launching the project alongside Alex Blania, the leader behind World, a digital identity initiative also supported by the OpenAI cofounder.
While Altman will serve as a cofounder, he won’t take on an operational role in Merge Labs. The startup joins a growing wave of companies leveraging breakthroughs in artificial intelligence to develop advanced brain-computer interfaces. Its name reflects Silicon Valley’s fascination with “the merge”, a theoretical point where human cognition and machine intelligence seamlessly integrate.
Altman has long been vocal about this vision. In a 2017 blog post, he speculated that such a merger could happen by 2025. More recently, he doubled down on the idea, suggesting that rapid advancements in technology could soon make high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces a reality. The emergence of Merge Labs signals intensifying competition in neurotechnology, with Altman and Musk now positioned as key rivals in shaping the future of human-machine symbiosis.
(Source: Ars Technica)
