Sam Altman’s Brain Chip Venture Is Mulling Gene Therapy Approach

Sam Altman’s Brain Chip Venture Is Mulling Gene Therapy Approach

Altman said he wants to be able to think something and have ChatGPT respond to it. The company is looking at an approach involving gene therapy that would modify brain cells. In addition, an ultrasound device would be implanted in the head that could detect and modulate activity in the modified cells.

• Merge Labs is exploring the idea of genetically altering brain cells to make better implants, using an approach involving gene therapy and an ultrasound device.
• The company, which has drawn interest from Sam Altman and OpenAI, is still in early stages and could evolve significantly, according to people familiar with the plans.
• Altman said he wants to be able to think something and have ChatGPT respond to it, and is co-founding Merge Labs, with much of the company's support coming from OpenAI's ventures team.

The brain chip company that has drawn interest from Sam Altman and his artificial intelligence business OpenAI is exploring the idea of genetically altering brain cells to make better implants.   The company, which has been appertained to as Merge Labs, is looking at an approach involving gene  remedy that would modify brain cells, according to people familiar with the plans who were n’t authorized to speak intimately on the matter. In addition, an ultrasound device would be implanted in the head that could  descry and modulate  exertion in the modified cells, these people said.   It’s one of a  sprinkle of ideas and technologies the company has been exploring, they said. The adventure is still in early stages and could evolve significantly. 

  “ We have n't done that deal yet, ” Altman told  intelligencers at a  regale Thursday in San Francisco,  pertaining to a question about a brain- computer interface adventure. “ I would like us to. ”   Altman said he wants to be  suitable to  suppose  commodity and have ChatGPT respond to it.   Merge Labs is Altman’s  rearmost  incursion into the brain- computer interface field. He's facing off against his longtime rival, Elon Musk, whose company Neuralink is  erecting brain implants with the short- term  thing of treating  complaint and the long- term ambition of  perfecting  mortal  capacities.   

OpenAI declined to  note.   Brain- computer interface companies aim to  make  bias that connect computers to  smarts and  compound peoples’ cognition. Implants are  presently enabling paralyzed cases to control electronics and helping people communicate who are  unfit to talk. Technology billionaires and investors are also auspicious that noninvasive  bias worn outside of the head could treat  internal health conditions.   

The Financial Times reported this week that Merge is aiming to raise$ 250 million at an$ 850 million valuation. important of that support will come from OpenAI’s  gambles  platoon, according to the report. Altman isco-founding the company but not  tête-à-tête investing in it, according to the Financial Times.   

Altman has also invested in Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain implant  incipiency. Neuralink, along with several other companies, is developing chips that communicate with the brain using electrical signals, not ultrasound.   For times, experimenters have been studying how to genetically change cells to make them respond to ultrasound, a field called sonogenetics. The idea Merge is considering to combine ultrasound with gene  remedy could take times, some of the people said.   

Ultrasound has attracted significant attention  lately as a possible brain  remedy. Other companies are exploring the idea of using ultrasound transmitters outside the brain to massage brain towel, with the  thing of treating psychiatric conditions. That kind of technology has shown  pledge in  exploration studies.   Coinbaseco-founder Fred Ehrsam’s company Nudge, which is aiming to  make a helmet that beams low- intensity  concentrated ultrasound into the brain,  lately raised$ 100 million. LinkedInco-founder Reid Hoffman is leading a$ 12 million backing round in a  analogous company.