OpenAI Invests in Brain-Computer Interface Startup Merge Labs

OpenAI has joined the seed round of Merge Labs, a research lab focused on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). The idea is that better interfaces make computing more powerful—BCIs let you express intent directly, without a keyboard or screen. Merge is building new BCI approaches that aim for much higher bandwidth, safely linking biology and AI. The startup plans to use AI to speed up research in bioengineering and neuroscience, and its interfaces will rely on AI systems that interpret intent from noisy brain signals. OpenAI will collaborate on scientific foundation models and other tools. The founders include neuroscientists Mikhail Shapiro, Tyson Aflalo, and Sumner Norman, plus entrepreneurs Alex Blania, Sandro Herbig, and Sam Altman (personally). Why it matters: This investment signals that AI leaders see BCIs as the next big interface shift, potentially making AI as natural as thinking, but it also raises big questions about privacy and the blurry line between human and machine cognition.