Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, has recruited renowned biomolecular engineer Mikhail Shapiro—winner of multiple prestigious awards—to join Merge Labs, a startup focused on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). Altman and co-founder Alex Blania will officially announce the company soon, with Altman serving as chairman but not involved in daily operations.​
Merge Labs, reportedly seeking 250millioninfundingatan8.5 billion valuation, aims to develop non-invasive BCIs. Shapiro, a Caltech professor and HHMI fellow, specializes in using ultrasound and magnetic fields to image/control cellular functions—particularly brain interactions—without invasive surgery (unlike Elon Musk’s Neuralink). His work aligns with Altman’s vision of “controlling ChatGPT with thoughts” sans implants.
Shapiro’s research focuses on gene-modified ultrasound responses and non-invasive neuroimaging, earning him awards like the Vilcek Prize and Roger Tsien Award. He advocates simpler, gene-based ultrasound methods to interact with neurons. Altman has openly opposed Neuralink’s invasive approach, stating, “I’d never implant anything that kills neurons.”
Merge Labs, launching within weeks, mirrors Altman’s past co-founder role (e.g., Tools for Humanity). The hire clarifies its tech direction: prioritizing non-invasive BCIs to potentially reshape human-machine interaction, contrasting sharply with Neuralink’s surgical path.