OpenAI, led by co-founder Sam Altman, is preparing to enter the field of connecting human brains to computers by backing a new startup called Merge Labs, in a move aimed at competing with Neuralink, which was founded by Elon Musk in 2016. According to sources familiar with the matter, the new venture is seeking to raise $850 million in funding, including $250 million from OpenAI and other investors, and is co-founded by Alex Blania, executive director of the World Digital Identity Project.
Altman, who will not be directly managing the project, has since 2017 expressed his vision of what he calls the "fusion" between humans and machines, which he expects to happen by 2025. The project aims to develop high-bandwidth brain-computer interfaces, a field that is booming thanks to advances in AI technologies and electronic components for reading neural signals.
This puts Merge Labs in direct competition with Neuralink, which this year raised $650 million at a $9 billion valuation, and with other companies like Precision Neuroscience and Synchron racing to catch up.
While the technology for brain implants is decades old, recent advances have made their use more practical. Altman, known for his support of futuristic tech ventures, has previously invested in nuclear power and nuclear fusion, and Merge Labs looks set to be his latest big bet in the high-tech world, in a global race to merge human minds with AI.
Who will win at the end of Tell us what you think?