Sam Altman Launches Merge Labs to Pursue Non-Invasive Brain–AI Interface

Backed by OpenAI, the startup is raising $250 million at a roughly $850 million valuation to build an ultrasound method that reads brain activity without implants.

Overview

Merge Labs proposes using ultrasound to decode neural activity, with research led by biomolecular engineer Mikhail Shapiro whose work pairs gene therapy with ultrasound to make targeted neurons detectable.
Altman described the goal as enabling a user to think a prompt and receive a response from ChatGPT, outlining a vision of direct mental interaction with AI.
Reporting states that Altman will not invest personal capital or run day-to-day operations, leaving execution to a team still being assembled as fundraising advances.
Alex Blania of Worldcoin is expected to participate in the ecosystem around Merge Labs, connecting the effort to Altman’s broader biometric and identity ventures.
The non-invasive strategy is positioned as an alternative to Neuralink’s surgical implants, with coverage emphasizing early-stage technical, regulatory and ethical hurdles alongside potential cost and risk advantages.