Hassan Khan
Sam Altman Takes on Musk With $850M Brain Computer Startup
The tech rivalry between Sam Altman and Elon Musk is moving beyond Artificial Intelligence and into the human brain. According to reports, Altman is in the early stages of co founding Merge Labs, a brain computer interface company that could be valued at around $850 million.
Merge Labs will reportedly focus on developing cutting edge neural interface technology, enabling direct communication between the human brain and computers. Sources say much of the funding could come from OpenAI’s ventures team, though no formal commitment has been made yet.
Read More: Elon Musk’s Grok Faces Brief Suspension on X?
Altman isn’t going it alone. The startup is said to be working with Alex Blania, head of Tools for Humanity, the company behind Altman’s Worldcoin project, which uses biometric scanning to verify a person’s identity.
If it moves forward, Merge Labs will compete head to head with Musk’s Neuralink, which is already in human trials aiming to help people with severe paralysis control devices using their thoughts. Neuralink recently raised $600 million at a $9 billion valuation, underscoring the high stakes in this emerging field.
The concept of merging human intelligence with technology often called “the singularity” is something Altman has been publicly interested in since at least 2017.“Even though the merge has already started, it’s going to get a lot weirder,” he said in a blog post that year. We shall be the first species to create offspring of our own.
See More: Elon Musk Warns of Legal Action Against Apple Over AI App Rankings
With tensions between Altman and Musk already running high after a series of public disputes, this new venture could become the next battleground in their increasingly personal tech war.
For now, Merge Labs hasn’t been officially announced, but if Altman follows through, the fight to connect minds and
