Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is launching a new brain-computer interface startup called Merge Labs, which is set to spin out of the Los Angeles nonprofit Forest Neurotech. The startup aims to utilize ultrasound technology to interpret brain activity, as revealed by a source familiar with the development plans.
Joining Altman in this endeavor are Forest Neurotech’s CEO Sumner Norman and chief scientific officer Tyson Aflalo, who are part of the founding team of Merge Labs. The startup is linked to Alex Blania, CEO of World, an Altman-backed digital identity company recognized for its eye-scanning orb technology. Reports earlier this year indicated that Merge Labs was in the process of securing funding at a valuation of $850 million.
The concept behind Merge Labs draws inspiration from the idea of ‘the merge,’ symbolizing the integration of humans with machines. Altman, in a 2017 blog post, highlighted his belief that this integration had already commenced, aligning with predictions forecasting a potential merge by 2025.
Forest Neurotech, known for its work on ultrasound-based brain-computer interfaces, originated in 2023 under the auspices of the philanthropic incubator Convergent Research. Notable figures supporting Convergent include Eric Schmidt, Wendy Schmidt, and Ken Griffin.
While Forest Neurotech and Convergent have refrained from providing comments, the involvement of experts like Caltech researcher Mikhail Shapiro underscores the caliber of talent associated with Merge Labs. Norman’s background in neural engineering and Aflalo’s prior role at Caltech’s T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center further solidify the startup’s foundation.
Source: WIRED
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