OpenAI Bets on Brain-Computer Interfaces With Merge Labs Investment

OpenAI has participated in the seed funding round of Merge Labs, a research lab focused on developing new brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. The company said such interfaces could enable more direct human interaction with AI.

According to a recent report, the company has raised a total of $252 million at a valuation of $850 million, backed by Bain Capital, Gabe Newell, and other investors.

“Progress in interfaces enables progress in computing,” OpenAI said in a blog, asserting that BCIs represent an important new frontier for communication, learning, and interaction with technology.

On BCI, Merge Labs is working to safely interface with the brain at higher bandwidth by integrating biology, hardware devices, and AI. The company’s stated long-term mission is to bridge biological and artificial intelligence to expand human capability and agency.

The investment puts OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on a collision course with Elon Musk, whose startup Neuralink is working on brain-computer interface chips that enable people with severe paralysis to control devices using their thoughts. Last year, it secured $650 million in funding at a $9 billion valuation from investors including Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, and Vy Capital.

According to OpenAI, AI will be central to Merge Labs’ work, supporting research across bioengineering, neuroscience, and device engineering. AI systems are also expected to help interpret user intent, adapt to individuals, and function effectively despite limited and noisy neural signals.

“High-bandwidth interfaces will benefit from AI operating systems that can interpret intent, adapt to individuals, and operate reliably with limited and noisy signals,” OpenAI stated in the blog.

As part of the collaboration, OpenAI plans to work with Merge Labs on scientific foundation models and other advanced tools to support the development of BCI technologies.

Merge Labs was co-founded by researchers Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, who have previously worked on new approaches to brain-computer interfaces. The founding team also includes technology entrepreneurs Alex Blania, Sandro Herbig, and Sam Altman, who is participating in a personal capacity. 

Blania is the CEO and co-founder of Tools for Humanity, the company behind the eyeball-scanning digital ID project, World, and will continue his role. Herbig is the founding team president and product and engineering lead at Tools for Humanity.

“We are excited to support and collaborate with Merge Labs as they turn an ambitious idea into reality and ultimately products that are useful for people,” OpenAI said.