OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman's Brain-Computer Interface Startup, Merge Labs
OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, invested in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup co-founded by its CEO, Sam Altman. The investment, announced Thursday, will see OpenAI collaborate with Merge Labs to develop technology linking human brains to computers, according to Wired.
Merge Labs, which emerged from stealth mode on Thursday, defines itself as a research lab dedicated to "bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability," according to a statement from the company. The company raised $252 million in a seed round, with OpenAI writing the largest single check, according to TechCrunch. The round values Merge Labs at $850 million. Other investors include Bain Capital and video game developer Gabe Newell, according to Wired.
Merge Labs aims to use ultrasound to read and modulate brain activity. "Our individual experience of the world arises from billions of active neurons," Merge Labs stated. "If we can interface with these neurons at scale, we could restore lost abilities, support healthier brain states, deepen our connection with each other."
Merge Labs joins a growing field of companies developing BCI technology, including Elon Musk's Neuralink. The name "Merge" comes from the Silicon Valley concept of the "merge," the hypothetical point at which humans and machine intelligence combine to form a hybrid consciousness, a concept Altman has written about, according to Wired.
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