Sam Altman, reportedly, establishes a new brain-chip company, intending to challenge Elon Musk's Neuralink in the market.
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has announced his involvement in a new brain chip startup called Merge Labs. The venture aims to develop a brain-computer interface (BCI) that will allow humans to control digital devices with their thoughts.
Merge Labs is reportedly raising funds at a valuation of $850 million, with most of the funding expected to come from OpenAI's Startup Fund. The name Merge Labs can be traced back to a 2017 post on Altman's personal blog where he discussed the merging of humans and machines.
However, unlike Neuralink, which has already received approvals for clinical trials and has implanted chips in at least three patients with spinal cord injuries or ALS, Merge Labs is still in its early stages. Alex Blania, head of World ID, is also involved in Merge Labs.
BCIs work by implanting tiny electrodes that can read neural signals in or near the brain. The primary goal of Merge Labs' devices is to enable humans to interact seamlessly with digital devices, potentially revolutionising the way we use technology.
Sam Altman wrote about a "Gentle Singularity" this year, suggesting a breakthrough in high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces is near. This prediction aligns with the objectives of Merge Labs, indicating a potential race between Merge Labs and Neuralink to achieve this milestone.
It is important to note that Altman will help launch Merge Labs but is not expected to be involved in its day-to-day operations. This week, Altman and Elon Musk, the founder of Neuralink, exchanged barbs over OpenAI's relationship with Apple and its prominent placement in the App Store. The rivalry between the two, stemming from Musk's departure from OpenAI in 2018, may add an interesting dynamic to the competition between their respective brain chip startups.
Neuralink, which was founded in 2016, has a head start over Merge Labs in terms of clinical trials and patient implantations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Neuralink breakthrough device designations for its tech aimed at helping people with speech and vision impairments.
As both Merge Labs and Neuralink push the boundaries of neurotechnology, the future of human-computer interaction is set to be transformed, offering exciting possibilities for those with disabilities and the general public alike.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3 [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Combinator
