What happens when one of the minds behind OpenAI sets his sights on the human brain? We might be about to find out.
Sam Altman, the CEO behind OpenAI and one of the leading voices in artificial intelligence, is reportedly helping launch a new startup called Merge Labs. According to unnamed sources who spoke with the Financial Times, Altman is not just co-founding Merge Labs—he’s also raising funds for it, possibly through OpenAI’s own ventures team.
Yes, that means OpenAI might get involved in brain-computer tech.
And if the rumors hold up, Merge Labs could eventually be worth around $850 million. That’s a bold entrance into a space currently dominated by Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Brain Chips, Startups, and an Old Feud
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash
Neuralink, Musk’s own neurotechnology company, has been working on implantable brain chips since officially revealing itself in 2017. It’s currently conducting human trials aimed at helping people with severe paralysis control devices just by thinking.
Neuralink’s valuation is huge—$9 billion after raising $600 million in its Series E funding round this past June. So, this space isn’t just high-tech, it’s high-stakes.
Now Altman seems ready to compete. Merge Labs is still in early development, and no official announcement has been made. Sources say conversations are still happening, and OpenAI hasn’t formally committed any investments yet. But still, this early-stage startup already has some powerful names in play.
Enter: Alex Blania
If you’ve followed Sam Altman’s other projects, you might know the name Alex Blania. He runs Tools for Humanity, the company behind a digital ID initiative that uses orb-like devices to scan your eyes and verify that you’re, well, a real human.
Blania is reportedly involved in Merge Labs, though details are still sparse. But given his close work with Altman on other identity and technology projects, his inclusion hints that Merge Labs could explore more than just medical applications. The team might be aiming at broader human-tech integration.
A Long History with “The Merge”
Interestingly, Altman has been talking about this kind of future for years. Back in 2017, he published a blog post titled “The Merge,” where he speculated about technology and humanity evolving together.
“Although the merge has already begun, it’s going to get a lot weirder,” he wrote. He predicted we might eventually become the architects of our own descendants—essentially becoming deeply integrated with the tools we create.
That’s not just sci-fi talk anymore. With Merge Labs, Altman appears to be putting real money and muscle behind that vision.
Musk vs. Altman, Again
If you’re getting some déjà vu, it’s probably not just you. These two tech icons go way back. Musk was once a co-founder of OpenAI, but left in 2018. Since then, their relationship has cooled… dramatically.
They recently got into a spat on X (formerly Twitter), with Altman accusing Musk of manipulating the platform and Musk responding by calling Altman a liar. This isn’t a friendly rivalry—it’s public, personal, and ongoing.
So the fact that Altman now seems to be building a direct competitor to Neuralink? Yeah, that feels like more than coincidence.
So What’s Next?
Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
There’s no confirmation yet from OpenAI, and Merge Labs hasn’t released an official statement. But if these early moves are any clue, we might be seeing the start of a very different kind of AI competition—one that goes beyond software and starts plugging into our bodies.
The idea of humans merging with machines—something once reserved for sci-fi paperbacks—is becoming a real-world business arena. And with players like Altman and Musk steering the ship, it’s going to get interesting fast.
Stay tuned. Things are only getting weirder from here.
Keywords: Sam Altman, Merge Labs, Brain-computer interface, OpenAI, Neuralink, Elon Musk, Alex Blania, brain tech startup, Tools for Humanity, human-machine integration
