OpenAI Invests in Merge Labs to Develop Non-Invasive Brain-Computer Interfaces

OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup co-founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, focusing on non-invasive technologies like ultrasound to connect neurons using molecules instead of implants. Founded in 2024, Merge Labs aims to develop high-bandwidth BCIs combining neuroscience, bioengineering, hardware, and AI to enable direct human-AI interaction. OpenAI plans to collaborate on AI tools to accelerate BCI research, reflecting its interest in hardware and human augmentation beyond software.