Sam Altman is reportedly co-founding brain-to-computer interface startup Merge Labs, which could be valued at $850 million, according to TechCrunch. Sources said funding may largely come from OpenAI’s ventures team, though talks are early and no commitment has been made. Merge Labs is reportedly collaborating with Alex Blania, head of Tools for Humanity, Altman’s eye-scanning digital ID project for human verification. Merge Labs will compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which develops brain-implant chips for computer interfaces and was founded in 2016. Neuralink is testing its technology in patients with severe paralysis and raised $600 million in June at a $9 billion valuation. Altman has written about “The Merge” since 2017, envisioning humans designing their own descendants. The venture comes amid renewed public clashes between Altman and Musk over AI and technology.
