""If we can interface with these neurons at scale, we could restore lost abilities, support healthier brain states, deepen our connection with each other, and expand what we can imagine and create alongside advanced AI." Merge Labs said it intends to reach these feats non-invasively by developing "entirely new technologies that connect with neurons using molecules instead of electrodes" to "transit and receive information using deep-reaching modalities like ultrasound.""
"The move deepens Altman's competition with Elon Musk, whose own startup Neuralink is also developing computer interface chips that allow people who suffer from severe paralysis to control devices with their thoughts. Neuralink currently requires invasive surgery for implantation, where a surgical robot removes a small piece of skull and inserts ultra-fine electrode threads into the brain to read neural signals."
"Just when you thought the circular deals couldn't get any more circular, OpenAI has invested in CEO Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup Merge Labs. Merge Labs, which defines itself as a "research lab" dedicated to "bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability," came out of stealth on Thursday with an undisclosed seed round. A source familiar with the matter confirmed previous reports that OpenAI wrote the largest single check in Merge Labs's $250 million seed round at a $850 million valuation."
OpenAI provided the largest single investment in Merge Labs during a $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation. Merge Labs positions itself as a research lab aimed at bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability. The lab plans non-invasive brain-computer interfaces that use molecules instead of electrodes and deep-reaching modalities like ultrasound to interface with neurons at scale. Stated goals include restoring lost abilities, supporting healthier brain states, deepening human connection, and expanding creative collaboration with advanced AI. The investment intensifies competition with Neuralink, which uses invasive implanted electrodes and recently raised a $650 million Series E.
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