Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is financing a new venture, Merge Labs, which is focused on creating a non-invasive brain-computer interface (BCI). This project stands in significant contrast to Elon Musk’s Neuralink, as it bypasses the need for surgery and the implantation of electrodes. Instead, Merge Labs intends to utilize a combination of ultrasound and magnetic fields to “read” human thoughts without any surgical intervention. According to The Verge, Merge Labs is currently raising $250 million in investments through OpenAI’s venture capital arm. A key developer in the startup is Mikhail Shapiro, a bioengineer from Caltech, who is known for his research on interacting with the brain using ultrasound waves, reports Baltimore Chronicle with a link to The Verge.
Shapiro’s research conducted at Caltech has demonstrated that sound waves can be employed to stimulate neurons, rather than physically connecting to them. Furthermore, the engineer has worked on genetically engineering cells to make them sensitive to ultrasound exposure. Previously, Sam Altman had voiced his opinion that he would not personally implant anything into his head, yet he dreams of a technology where he could simply think—and ChatGPT would respond. He specified that perhaps he only desires a “read-only” mode, allowing the artificial intelligence to understand his thoughts without altering them. Reportedly, this “read-only” BCI concept forms the core foundation of Merge Labs. The startup aims to build a system capable of interpreting brain signals non-surgically, by integrating acoustic waves and magnetic fields.
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