The rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman continues. After artificial intelligence, it is in the field of the cerebral cortex where its war continues. The co-founder of OpenAI should officially announce in the coming weeks the creation of a start-up that will compete directly with Neuralink… the company founded by the head of Tesla.
The company, called Merge Labs, specializes in brain-computer interfaces. Therefore, like Elon Musk’s new company. The difference is that Sam Altman’s new company is trying to develop a much less invasive approach than its competitor.
A less invasive technique
According to The Verge, Sam Altman has chosen Mikhail Shapiro, an award-winning biomolecular engineer, to join Merge Labs. If his official title has not yet been revealed, several inside sources say he should be part of the founding team. Your goal? Using ultrasound to interact with the human brain without resorting to open skull surgery… like Neuralink.
During a lecture on July 25, Mikhail Shapiro detailed how sound waves and magnetic fields can be used to create a brain-computer interface. Instead of inserting electrodes into brain tissue, the engineer wants to genetically modify some neurons so that they become sensitive to ultrasound.
A small device, placed under the skin, could listen to and interact with these modified cells using sound waves. A less invasive method, therefore, that could reduce the risks of infection or rejection, as is the case with Neuralink.
From Elon Musk’s company, the device uses thin, flexible cables that integrate 1,024 electrodes to record neuronal activity. The coin-sized chip is surgically inserted into the cerebral cortex.
Valuation at 850 million dollars
In February 2024, the first human being implanted with Neuralink managed to move a computer mouse simply by thinking. A month later he managed to play chess. Mario Kart already Civilization 6 thanks to the implant. Capabilities that greatly impressed observers. However, since then the interface has experienced some problems. Many of the electrodes on your implant have retracted, reducing the effectiveness of the device.
Sam Altman has already explained that he doesn’t like Neuralink’s invasive approach. During a dinner attended by The Verge journalist, the businessman assured that he would not “inject absolutely anything into his brain” that would kill neurons like the Neuralink interface does. “I wish I could think of something and have ChatGPT answer it,” he added.
According to the Financial Times, Sam Altman would help raise funds for Merge Labs. The company hopes to raise $250 million, reaching a valuation of $850 million. The entrepreneur must be a co-founder of the startup. However, you should not play a daily role in this project.
Source: BFM TV
