Tech entrepreneur Sam Altman prepares to launch a brain implant company, aiming to compete with Elon Musk's Neuralink, according to a recent report.
In a significant development, a new brain-implant startup named Merge Labs is gearing up to challenge Elon Musk's Neuralink in the implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) market. The founder of Merge Labs, positioned by OpenAI as a direct competitor to Neuralink, is Sam Altman, the co-chairman of OpenAI.
Altman, who shares a history with Musk as a former co-founder of OpenAI, has long been interested in the idea of brain-computer interfaces. The startup aims to "merge humans and machines together through artificial intelligence." Merge Labs is planning to raise a total funding of $250 million, with most of the capital expected to come from OpenAI's ventures team. The startup is currently valued at $850 million.
Meanwhile, Neuralink, which has already entered human trials, is aiming to implant 20,000 people with its chips annually by 2031. One of the individuals who have received the Neuralink implant is Bradford G. Smith, a patient with ALS. Thanks to the Neuralink implant, Smith can now control a computer cursor with his thoughts and communicate. Smith narrated the edited video using a synthetic voice created by AI and old recordings.
In a remarkable demonstration, Smith used the BCI chip to edit a video. Neuralink's goal, if achieved, could generate an estimated $1 billion in annual revenue.
On the other side of the fence, Paradromics, a young company in the BCI field, has completed its first human BCI implant and is moving toward its clinical trial. The focus of Paradromics is on helping people with severe motor impairments communicate.
It's important to note that the deal terms between OpenAI and Merge Labs are still subject to change. Alex Blania, the CEO of Worldcoin, is expected to co-found Merge Labs alongside Altman, although Altman himself will not be a personal investor in the company.
As the race for AI supremacy heats up, the battle between Neuralink and Merge Labs promises to be a fascinating development in the world of technology.
