Podcast Summary: The Last Invention is AI

Episode: "AI's Last Invention: Our Brains"
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: The Last Invention is AI

Episode Overview

This episode examines the emerging race to integrate artificial intelligence with the human brain, focusing on OpenAI’s investment in Sam Altman’s new brain-computer interface (BCI) venture, Merge Labs. The host discusses the context, science, ambitions, and implications of brain interfaces—comparing Merge Labs’ approach to competitors like Neuralink—and reflects on the philosophical and societal stakes of “the merge” between AI and humanity.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Brain-Computer Interface Race

(00:00–02:39)

• OpenAI has invested in Merge Labs, a new BCI startup led by Sam Altman.
• This parallels efforts by Elon Musk’s Neuralink, already in the public conversation due to demonstrations with paralyzed individuals regaining certain abilities.
  • Example: People using Neuralink to control robotic arms or communicate.
• Initially, brain-computer interfaces generated public fear ("Do you really want a computer in your brain?"). Over time, perception shifted as medical use cases (e.g., for paralysis) were popularized.

Quote:

“Do you really want to put a computer into our brain? … All of a sudden, this is enabling all of that.”
— Host (00:26–00:58)

2. Merge Labs: Vision and Funding

(02:40–05:00)

• Merge Labs positions itself as a research lab focused on direct brain-to-AI connections.
• Recently emerged from stealth with a $250M seed round, valuing the barely-unveiled startup at $850M, largely driven by Sam Altman's involvement.
• Mission as described by the company:
  • Connect with billions of neurons to restore abilities (for those with disabilities), enable healthier mental states, facilitate deeper human connection, and pioneer new forms of creativity with AI.

Notable Reaction:

“To be honest, it feels kind of dystopian and terrifying, especially when you have a company like OpenAI interfacing directly into your brain.”
— Host (05:03)

3. Technical Approach: Avoiding Surgery

(05:00–07:01)

• Merge Labs rejects surgical hardware in favor of molecular or ultrasound-based methods for neural communication—contrasting with Neuralink’s invasive, electrode-based surgery.
  • Merge aims for non-invasive, molecule-driven interfaces.
  • Still very early in scientific development.

Quote:

“They are going to develop new methods that communicate with neurons using molecules rather than electrodes... using things like ultrasound.”
— Host (06:23)

4. Comparison: Neuralink vs. Merge Labs

(07:02–08:45)

• Neuralink uses surgery and implanted wires; focus is helping those with paralysis interact with computers, with notable test cases and high-profile demonstrations.
• Neuralink valued at $9B after a $650M raise.
• Merge Labs has broader ambitions: less about medical restitution, more about creating enhanced or “superpowered” interaction between humans and AI.

5. Societal and Philosophical Questions

(08:46–10:45)

• Merge Labs aims to make interacting with AI—potentially even ChatGPT—“as simple as thinking.”
  • Raises concerns about normalization, privacy, and identity.
  • Merge’s messaging claims this is a “more natural and human-centered interface,” which the host finds dystopian.

Quote:

“Going straight into my brain via an ultrasound is a more natural way to interface with AI? Like, so freaking dystopian.”
— Host (09:30)

• Team consists of people from Tools for Humanity (makers of Worldcoin orbs), brain implant startups, and Caltech researchers.
• Sam Altman expected to actively support Merge Labs with OpenAI resources, similar to Elon Musk's highly visible but not always day-to-day involvement with Neuralink.

6. AI’s Role in Advancing BCI

(10:45–12:30)

• OpenAI argues that advanced AI is critical to interpreting complex, incomplete neural data streams—customizing solutions to individual brain patterns.
• Merge Labs could eventually enable hands-free, thought-driven access to OpenAI products.
  • Potential: Just think "ChatGPT, how do you X?" and receive information immediately.
• Potential for feedback loop: If Merge Labs succeeds, it further reinforces OpenAI's own ecosystem, and vice versa.

7. Silicon Valley Deal Dynamics

(12:31–14:10)

• Concerning circularity: OpenAI invests in companies started by Sam Altman, sometimes in ways that benefit both the fund and Altman personally.
  • Not atypical for Silicon Valley, but raises governance questions.
• OpenAI’s other hardware efforts: partnership with Jony Ive’s startup to develop a new kind of AI device, possibly a screenless smart puck or earbud.

Quote:

“There’s a lot of circular investing happening with Silicon Valley AI companies right now. ... OpenAI is not a stranger to this.”
— Host (13:30)

8. The Merge: Sam Altman’s Long-Term Vision

(14:11–16:01)

• Sam Altman has long written about “the merge”: a future where humans and AI become integrated via direct brain connections or ever-present interaction.
  • 2017 blog post: predicted humans and machines would merge between 2025 and 2075.
  • Quote from Altman’s blog:

    “The merge has already begun and it’s going to get a lot stranger. We will be the first species to design our own descendants.”

• Altman posits merging as a defense: the best chance to stay relevant if/when superintelligent AI arrives.

9. Conclusion: Science Fiction Becomes Reality

(16:02–17:20)

• It’s unclear what Merge Labs will ultimately deliver—a medical breakthrough, futuristic human-AI interface, or “just another hyped Silicon Valley experiment.”
• The host concludes that the move to blend human and AI is already underway, no longer just speculation, and led by the same figures shaping today’s AI industry.

Quote:

“The push to kind of blend human and AI is no longer science fiction. It’s now being funded, staffed, built by the same people that are shaping the future of AI.”
— Host (16:38)

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• “Do you really want to put a computer into our brain?” (00:26)
• “For some reason, [restoring lost function] seems normal to me. But with something like Merge Labs... when you have ChatGPT inside your head... that seems so dystopian and terrifying to me. Like, I don’t know, it’s honestly, like mortifying in a way.” (05:24)
• “They are going to develop new methods that communicate with neurons using molecules rather than electrodes... using things like ultrasound.” (06:23)
• “Going straight into my brain via an ultrasound is a more natural way to interface with AI? Like, so freaking dystopian.” (09:30)
• “There’s a lot of circular investing happening with Silicon Valley AI companies right now. ... OpenAI is not a stranger to this.” (13:30)
• Sam Altman: “The merge has already begun and it’s going to get a lot stranger. We will be the first species to design our own descendants.” (14:45)
• “The push to kind of blend human and AI is no longer science fiction. It’s now being funded, staffed, built by the same people that are shaping the future of AI.” (16:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:39: Introduction to Merge Labs, comparison to Neuralink
• 02:40–05:00: Merge Labs’ vision, funding details, and ambitions
• 05:01–07:01: Non-surgical, molecular BCI approach
• 07:02–08:45: Neuralink’s medical focus vs. Merge Labs’ enhancement focus
• 08:46–10:45: Societal concerns, normalization, and team background
• 10:46–12:30: Role of AI in BCIs, hands-free OpenAI possibilities
• 12:31–14:10: Silicon Valley investment overlap, other OpenAI hardware projects
• 14:11–16:01: “The merge” as Sam Altman’s philosophical driver
• 16:02–17:20: Conclusion — human/AI convergence is already underway

Summary

This episode of The Last Invention is AI dives deep into the rapidly evolving field of brain-computer interfaces, spotlighting OpenAI’s investment in Sam Altman’s Merge Labs. The host analyzes technical, ethical, and business implications of connecting brains and AI, drawing parallels between medical advances and the normalization of mental integration with AI assistants. Listeners are left with a provocative sense of how the “merge” between humans and machines, once science fiction, is accelerating—propelled by some of the most influential forces in tech today.