OpenAI Invests in Sam Altman’s Merge Labs, Enters Brain-Computer Interface Space

Merge Labs is focused on developing brain-computer interfaces designed to enable direct interaction between the human brain and artificial intelligence systems.

OpenAI has announced an investment in Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface (BCI) startup founded by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, marking the artificial intelligence company’s entry into the rapidly evolving neural interface space. The financial terms of the investment have not been disclosed.

Merge Labs is focused on developing brain-computer interfaces designed to enable direct interaction between the human brain and artificial intelligence systems. According to OpenAI, the funding will support the startup’s efforts to build safe and scalable BCI technologies that could eventually allow humans to communicate with AI through neural signals rather than traditional input devices.

In a statement, OpenAI said it would support and collaborate with Merge Labs as the company works to translate early research into practical products. The investment highlights OpenAI’s growing interest in hardware-driven technologies that extend beyond software-based AI models into human augmentation and interface development.

Founded as a research lab, Merge Labs is working on approaches that combine biology, advanced sensors, and machine learning to interpret neural activity. Unlike invasive BCI systems that rely on surgically implanted devices, the company is reportedly focusing on non-invasive neural interfaces aimed at consumer and clinical use. These systems are intended to convert brain signals into digital commands, with potential applications in healthcare, rehabilitation, and productivity tools.

Early prototypes developed by Merge Labs are said to rely on high-resolution sensors and AI models capable of decoding neural signals at higher bandwidths. The company has emphasized ethical design and accessibility as part of its development strategy, though it has not publicly outlined timelines for commercial deployment.

The investment places Merge Labs in direct comparison with Neuralink, the brain-implant company founded by Elon Musk in 2016. Neuralink has focused primarily on implantable devices and has made progress in human trials aimed at helping people with paralysis control digital devices using thought. The company recently raised $600 million at a reported valuation of $9 billion.

By contrast, Merge Labs is pursuing a less invasive approach with a broader long-term goal of human-AI integration beyond medical rehabilitation. Altman has previously written about the convergence of biological and artificial intelligence, describing it as an inevitable development in human evolution.

OpenAI’s backing of Merge Labs underscores increasing industry attention on brain-computer interfaces as a potential next frontier in human-computer interaction, even as regulatory, ethical, and technical challenges continue to shape the pace of adoption.

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