Thomas Unise
OpenAI has announced a significant investment in Merge Labs, a neurotech startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, which aims to develop non-invasive brain-computer interface technology using ultrasound.
Key Details of the Investment
Merge Labs has secured $252 million in funding from various investors including OpenAI, Bain Capital, and video game developer Gabe Newell. The company’s mission centers on creating technology that connects human brains to computers without requiring surgical implants.
Unlike competitors such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink, which uses implantable electrodes, Merge Labs plans to develop interfaces that use ultrasound and molecular approaches to read and modulate brain activity. The company’s name references the Silicon Valley concept of “the merge,” the hypothetical point where human and machine intelligence combine.
The Technology Approach
According to Merge Labs’ website, their technology will “connect with neurons using molecules instead of electrodes” and “transmit and receive information using deep-reaching modalities like ultrasound.” Their vision involves creating interfaces that blend biology, devices, and AI in a form that is “broadly accessible.”
AI will play a crucial role in this approach, with OpenAI collaborating on scientific foundation models and other tools to interpret neural signals. Similar to how Synchron is working with Nvidia on brain foundation models, these AI systems would learn from brain data to create more intuitive interfaces with expanded capabilities.
Relationship to Forest Neurotech
Merge Labs is a spinoff of Forest Neurotech, a nonprofit research organization established in 2023. Several of Merge’s cofounders are also affiliated with Forest, which will continue operating as a nonprofit while collaborating with Merge.
While Merge hasn’t specified its initial applications, Forest’s focus on mental health disorders and brain injuries may provide clues about the company’s direction. A miniaturized ultrasound device developed by Forest is currently undergoing early safety trials in the UK.
The Brain-Computer Interface Landscape
Merge Labs enters a growing field of companies developing brain-computer interfaces. Most existing interfaces, like those from Neuralink and Synchron, measure electrical activity directly from neurons. In contrast, an ultrasound-based approach would detect neural activity indirectly by monitoring changes in the brain’s blood flow.
Currently, Neuralink has implanted its device in at least 12 volunteers, while Synchron’s device (implanted in blood vessels adjacent to the brain) has been used in 10 participants. These existing interfaces allow paralyzed individuals to perform basic tasks like moving cursors or robotic arms, but future AI-enhanced systems could potentially enable more complex functions.
Leadership and Future Plans
In addition to Sam Altman, Merge Labs’ cofounders include researchers Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, along with tech entrepreneurs Alex Blania and Sandro Herbig. The company is currently in hiring mode as it builds out its team.
This investment represents another significant step in the development of technologies that could eventually bridge the gap between human cognition and artificial intelligence systems, potentially transforming how we interact with computers and AI.
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