Home / Technology / Billionaire Rivals Race to Merge Minds with AI
Billionaire Rivals Race to Merge Minds with AI
14 Aug
Summary
- Elon Musk and Sam Altman, former allies, now lead rival brain-computer interface companies
- Neuralink and Merge Labs aim to connect human brains with artificial intelligence
- Musk and Altman believe merging with AI is crucial for humanity's future
As of August 14th, 2025, the rivalry between tech billionaires Elon Musk and Sam Altman has intensified, with the two now competing to develop brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that could revolutionize the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence.
Musk's company, Neuralink, has been the leader in the BCI field, having already tested its brain chips on patients in the US and secured plans for UK trials. However, Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is now planning to back a rival firm, Merge Labs, with the aim of creating even more advanced BCI systems.
The two former collaborators, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, have been engaged in an increasingly public rivalry in recent years. This latest battle pits their visions for the future of humanity against one another, as both Musk and Altman believe that merging the human mind with AI is crucial for our survival.
Neuralink's technology uses a coin-sized computer chip with 1,000 electrodes to record and translate the brain's electrical signals, allowing users to control computers and other devices with their thoughts. Merge Labs, on the other hand, is expected to leverage recent advancements in AI to further improve the capabilities of BCI systems.
As the race to connect minds and machines intensifies, the implications of this technology could be far-reaching, potentially transforming the lives of those with disabilities and even shaping the future of human evolution.
