Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads, the Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host Will Walden. Sam Altman is working on a brain chip venture that may try something no major competitor has attempted before, changing how brain cells work using gene therapy.
Merge Labs, which is the startup associated with Altman and Open AI's venture arm, is considering a method that would genetically alter brain cells so they can better interface with implanted technology, People familiar with the plans say. This includes using ultrasound to communicate with those altered cells. Now the goal is to build a brain computer interface that allows seamless interaction between human thought and AI tools like ChatGPT, Altman said publicly.
He wants to be able to think something and get a ChatGPT response without needing to speak or type, you know? This idea sits far outside what companies like Neurolink currently focus on. Elon Musk's firm is pushing forward with electrode based implants that read and stimulate brain activity electronically. And Neurolink raised $650 million this year and now holds a valuation of $9 billion.
Merge Labs wants to go a different direction, though, tapping into sonogenetics, which is a research field that studies how to make cells respond to ultrasound through genetic engineering. Sonogenetics isn't a new field, but using it in a commercial brain chip product would be a major leap forward. Researchers have spent years exploring how cells can be sensitized to sound waves.
Merge is evaluating whether gene therapy can make specific neurons react predictably to ultrasound, which could then be used to send and receive brain signals. This method may allow less invasive implants, since ultrasound can pass through tissues more easily than electrical signals. The hardware involved would also break new ground. Sources say that Merge is looking at embedding an ultrasound device into the human skull to work with the modified brain tissue.
This setup could allow for real time detection and control of neurological activity without relying on wires or probes inserted deep inside of your brain. And if this technology ends up working, it may enable smoother interaction between the brain and digital systems, with fewer physical risks than traditional electrodes. Now, Open AI has not confirmed the details publicly, though, and Altman said the deal has not been finalized.
Still, Altman's presence around the project is very visible. He plans to Co found the company, though he will not take an operational role or personally invest in it. Much of the early funding, expected a total $250 million, will come from Open a Eyes venture. Arm Merge is currently valued at 850 million, according to three people with direct knowledge of the funding talks.
Altman is working on the project alongside Alex Blania, who currently leads Worldcoin, which is a separate venture that uses iris scans to verify digital identities. Blania has close ties to Almond through Worldcoin, another project backed by Opening Eye leadership. Altman previously invested in Musk's Neuralink, but the two entrepreneurs are now not quite friends, and they're now competing head to head in the brain interface space.
The rivalry escalated after Musk sued Open AI for straying from its original nonprofit mission. Now brain computer interface, or BCI, companies are multiplying, but few are pursuing the path Merge appears to be taking. Nerlink is still the most high profile BCI company and has begun human testing for treating paralysis. Others like Precision Neuroscience and Synchron focus on non invasive or semi invasive implants designed to assist people with neurological
disorders. These companies rely on reading electrical signals from the brain, often requiring surgical insertion of electrodes. Emerge stands out by potentially combining genetic engineering with ultrasound, aiming for a system that works through acoustic stimulation of modified brain tissue. That route could avoid problems associated with electrodes like scar tissue or long term signal
degradation. However, it could also take years before the safety and reliability of this approach is proven in humans, and the technology will require overcoming major scientific hurdles, particularly around targeted gene delivery and long term tissue response. Ultrasound has gained momentum in neuroscience research as a non evasive way to influence brain activity.
Start-ups like Nudge in Others, backed by investors including Fred ESM and Reed Hoffman, are developing helmets that are focused on using ultrasound to stimulate specific brain regions. These devices are aimed at treating psychiatric disorders without implants, and Merge would be among the first to pursue implanted ultrasound combined with cell modification. Now, Open AI has not officially commented on its role in the Merge product.
However, the company's venture fund is expected to provide a large share of the capital needed to bring the project to life. And if successful, Merge could redefine how humans interact with AI systems, bypassing screens and keyboards for something closer to direct thought transmission. And it's still an early development, and the gene therapy approach could shift or be scrapped, depending on technical feasibility.
And But for now, Altman is backing a plan that challenges the standard brain chip road map by blending genetics, sound, and computing. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support. If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly appreciate it. It helps out the show tremendously, and you'll never miss an episode.
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