Core Insights - OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman is backing a startup called Merge Labs, which aims to compete with Elon Musk's Neuralink in the brain-computer interface sector [1][3] - Merge Labs has recently raised funding at a valuation of $850 million (approximately 6.11 billion RMB), primarily from OpenAI's venture capital team [1] - Altman is not only encouraging this investment but is also co-founding Merge Labs alongside Worldcoin project leader Alex Blania, although he will not be involved in day-to-day management [1] Company Developments - Merge Labs is focused on creating more practical brain-computer interfaces using AI, with its name inspired by the concept of "The Merge," which signifies the eventual integration of humans and robots [1] - The company plans to raise an additional $250 million (approximately 1.797 billion RMB) from OpenAI and other investors, although negotiations are still in the early stages [3] Competitive Landscape - Elon Musk's Neuralink, founded in 2016, claims to maintain a leading position among similar companies, having completed a $650 million funding round earlier this year at a valuation of $9 billion [3] - The historical relationship between Musk and Altman has been characterized by both collaboration and competition, as they co-founded OpenAI before Musk left the board in 2018 due to disagreements [3]