News Summary

Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, is reportedly in the early stages of launching a new brain-to-computer interface startup named Merge Labs, with potential backing from OpenAI’s ventures team. Merge Labs seeks to rival Elon Musk’s Neuralink by developing advanced brain-computer interface technology. The startup is anticipated to be valued at approximately $850 million. Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, has made significant advances in allowing individuals with severe paralysis to control devices through thought. OpenAI’s involvement in Merge Labs indicates an intensifying competition in the brain-tech sector between Altman and Musk, especially after their professional relationship soured following Musk’s departure from OpenAI in 2018. The development of Merge Labs could mark a significant step towards the merging of human and machine intelligence, a concept Altman has previously discussed.