OpenAI Funds Sam Altman’s New Neurotechnology Company, Merge Labs

On Thursday, OpenAI revealed its investment in Merge Labs, a neurotechnology startup co-founded by billionaire Sam Altman, its CEO. The collaboration aims to create technology that connects human brains with computers.

Merge Labs has secured $252 million in funding from OpenAI, Bain Capital, video game creator Gabe Newell, and others, focusing on utilizing ultrasound to interpret and influence brain activity.

Joining companies like Elon Musk’s Neuralink, Merge is advancing brain-computer interface technology. Its name is inspired by the Silicon Valley concept of “the merge,” which signifies the envisioned convergence of human and machine intelligence, a topic Altman has discussed. He previously invested in Neuralink, which has garnered $1.3 billion.

Unlike Neuralink, Merge states that it won’t implant technology into the brain. “We’re developing new technologies that interact with neurons using molecules instead of electrodes, utilizing advanced modalities like ultrasound for information transmission and reception, avoiding implants in brain tissue,” the company notes on its website. Merge aims to create interfaces that blend biology, devices, and AI in a user-friendly and accessible format.

AI is set to play a significant role in Merge’s strategy. “High-bandwidth interfaces will leverage AI operating systems capable of interpreting intent, customizing to users, and functioning reliably amid noise,” according to OpenAI’s announcement. “OpenAI will partner with Merge Labs on scientific foundational models and other cutting-edge tools to expedite advancements.”

Synchron, another startup in the brain-computer interface sector, has raised $345 million and is collaborating with Nvidia to develop foundational brain models. The goal is for these AI models to learn from extensive brain data, creating interfaces with enhanced intuitiveness and broader capabilities. Currently, brain-computer interfaces assist paralyzed individuals in operating computer cursors and robotic limbs, but future systems may accomplish more complex tasks through AI support.

Merge is a spinoff of Forest Neurotech, a nonprofit research organization based in Los Angeles, founded in 2023. Many of Merge’s co-founders have ties to Forest, a relationship that WIRED initially reported last December. Forest will maintain its nonprofit status while collaborating with Merge, as stated in a blog by its parent organization.

While Merge hasn’t detailed the applications it plans to pursue, Forest’s focus on mental health disorders and brain injuries might hint at its initial direction. A compact ultrasound device developed by Forest is currently under evaluation in a preliminary safety trial in the UK.

Most brain-computer interfaces, including those from Neuralink and Synchron, directly measure electrical activity from neurons. In contrast, an ultrasound-based device interprets neural dynamics indirectly through variations in brain blood flow. So far, at least 12 volunteers have received Neuralink implants, while 10 participants have been fitted with Synchron’s device, which is placed in a blood vessel adjacent to the brain rather than within brain tissue.

In addition to Altman, Merge Labs’ co-founders include researchers Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, along with tech entrepreneurs Alex Blania and Sandro Herbig. The company is actively recruiting for various positions.