Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is backing a new startup called Merge Labs that will develop brain-computer interfaces, according to the Financial Times. This puts Altman in direct competition with Elon Musk's Neuralink. Altman has previously expressed interest in merging humans and machines, suggesting that it could take various forms, from brain implants to close relationships with chatbots. He sees this "merge" as a potentially optimal future scenario, connecting it to his work at OpenAI and the evolution of AI.