The battle for the future of human–machine integration may be about to heat up. Reports suggest that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is quietly working to co-found a brain–computer interface startup called Merge Labs, with funding potentially coming from OpenAI’s ventures arm. According to the Financial Times, the project is still in its early stages, but sources indicate the startup could be valued at an impressive $850 million.
Merge Labs will reportedly collaborate with Alex Blania, the head of Tools for Humanity – the company behind Altman’s eye-scanning digital ID initiative, Worldcoin. The goal appears to be nothing short of revolutionizing how humans interact with technology, putting Merge Labs in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Neuralink, founded by Musk in 2016, is developing implantable chips that allow people, particularly those with severe paralysis, to control devices using only their thoughts. The company has already entered human trials and, in June, raised $600 million in a Series E round, pushing its valuation to $9 billion. Musk has framed Neuralink’s mission as a step toward “the singularity” – the moment when human intelligence merges with artificial intelligence.
Altman has expressed similar ideas before. In a 2017 blog post titled The Merge, he predicted a future where humans design their own descendants by integrating technology into the brain. Now, with Merge Labs, Altman may be putting those visions into motion — and perhaps reigniting a rivalry with Musk, who left OpenAI in 2018 after creative and strategic differences.
While OpenAI has not confirmed its involvement, industry watchers believe it’s no coincidence that Altman might be building a challenger in one of the most futuristic arenas of technology.
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