OpenAI invests in Sam Altman's neural startup Merge Labs

OpenAI announced a major investment in Merge Labs, a new startup founded by Sam Altman that is developing brain-computer interface technologies. The company aims to create safe and effective ways for humans to interact with computers and artificial intelligence using brain signals without the need for surgical intervention.

In its first major funding round, Merge Labs managed to raise $250 million, valuing the company at approximately $850 million. Among the investors, OpenAI became the largest participant in this round. OpenAI representatives explained the investment as a desire to accelerate the development of new technologies that will allow people to interact naturally with artificial intelligence and expand human capabilities.

Merge Labs plans to compete with other companies in the neurotechnology market, including Elon Musk's Neuralink, but focuses primarily on non-invasive methods of reading brain signals, such as the use of ultrasound and molecular signals, which minimizes health risks for users.

The Merge Labs team includes renowned scientists and engineers, such as Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, as well as entrepreneurs Alex Blania and Sandro Herbig, who have experience in bioengineering and neurotechnology.

According to OpenAI representatives, collaboration with Merge Labs opens up new opportunities for research in neuroscience, bioengineering, and artificial intelligence, and could serve as the foundation for future technologies that integrate the human brain with AI.

Source: TechCrunch