OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is helping launch a brain-computer interface startup called Merge Labs, aiming to take on Elon Musk's Neuralink. The venture is targeting a valuation of about US$850 million, with up to US$250 million likely to come from OpenAI's venture arm, according to the Financial Times.
While Altman will hold the title of co-founder, he is not expected to take part in day-to-day operations or invest personally, and discussions are still in the early stages. Alex Blania, head of Worldcoin, another company founded by Altman and known for using iris scans to create digital IDs, will also serve as a co-founder.
From Silicon Valley vision to real-world startup
The name Merge Labs reflects Silicon Valley's long-standing fascination with the idea of merging humans and machines. Altman explored the concept in a 2017 blog post, envisioning high-bandwidth brain interfaces as a way to closely connect human cognition with AI and potentially avoid a zero-sum struggle for dominance. In June 2024, he published another essay, The Gentle Singularity, arguing that AI had passed an irreversible threshold and calling for a gradual, collaborative integration of human and artificial intelligence to prevent excessive concentration of power and loss of control.
Merge Labs' most prominent rival will be Musk's Neuralink, whose brain implants have enabled patients paralyzed by spinal cord injuries to operate computers and play video games using only their thoughts. Earlier this year, Neuralink raised US$650 million at a US$9 billion valuation, and in June 2024, Musk announced that a seventh volunteer had received the implant. Clinical trials are also slated to begin in the UK.
Silicon Valley's enduring fascination with the Singularity
Before Silicon Valley became consumed with artificial general intelligence, it was captivated by the idea of the "singularity." Musk has used the term to describe the moment AI surpasses human intelligence, while its more classical definition, drawn from Ray Kurzweil's work rather than Dino Buzzati's 1960s novella, refers to the merging of humans and technology.
Altman's interest in brain-computer interfaces stretches back years, and his writings have often framed them as a critical safeguard in the age of AI. Musk, then still a co-founder of OpenAI, was cited in Altman's early reflections on the field.
The relationship between the two tech leaders has cooled noticeably since Musk left OpenAI in 2018. This week, the rivalry resurfaced on X, where Altman accused Musk of meddling with the platform's algorithms. Musk pushed back, rejecting the claim.
While it remains unclear when Merge Labs will be formally launched, Altman has made it clear he plans to be deeply involved in pursuing the "singularity," an idea he sees as critical to shaping humanity's future.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
