It’s kind of funny. Back when OpenAI was first founded, Elon Musk and Sam Altman were thick as thieves. Both supposedly had a similar mission when it came to artificial intelligence. However, fast forward to today, and both parties appear to be bitter enemies. But despite their differences, they both seem to be working towards a similar goal. Elon Musk has Neuralink, and now Sam Altman is reportedly working on his own brain interface as well.
Sam Altman’s brain interface could rival Neuralink
According to The Verge’s Alex Heath in his Sources newsletter, it appears that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, is building his own brain interface that could rival that of Elon Musk’s Neuralink. The report claims that Altman has tapped Mikhail Shapiro, an award-winning biomolecular engineer.
Shapiro will join Merge Labs, which is a brain-computer interface startup by Altman and Alex Blania. At the moment, not much is known about what this company is about. However, based on Shapiro’s work, it suggests that Altman could leverage his expertise to create a device that could link to the human brain using noninvasive techniques. To be more specific, it could use sound waves.
This is based on a recent talk Shapiro gave, where he said that sound waves and magnetic fields could be used to create a brain-to-computer interface. If that’s true, it could make Altman’s startup a whole lot more attractive compared to Neuralink.
Neuralink’s approach
For those unfamiliar, Neuralink is a company founded by Musk. The company’s goal is to create a way for people to interact with their computers or phones using their thoughts. It sounds quite high-tech, almost sci-fi-like. However, the problem with Neuralink is that it’s not exactly the most user-friendly.
In order for Neuralink to work, the user has to undergo open-skull surgery. This is where the electrodes are implanted into the brain to allow the user to control their devices. Any type of brain surgery has its risks. But to ask someone to undergo surgery just so they have a hands-free way of using their computers? That’s a huge ask.
If Altman’s new startup can indeed create an interface that uses sound waves, it’s a no-brainer (pun intended) that more people might prefer.
The post Sam Altman Reportedly Developing Noninvasive Brain Interface to Rival Elon Musk’s Neuralink appeared first on Android Headlines.
